Ophiuren (echinodermata) des hohen oberdevons im nördlichen rheinischen schiefergebirge

Abstract

Four outcrops (three of which were new) in the Northern Rhenish Schiefergebirge delivered several ophiuroids from the high Famennien. Following forms are described: Protaster ? ubaghsi n. sp. and a juvenile protasteroid, gen. et spec. indet., 2 new species of Furcaster to be treated taxonomically only after revision of this genus, many specimens of Ophiaulax decheni showing plates of the primary rosette and other hitherto undescribed structures, Stephanoura belgica with many juvenile specimens, and Onychaster ? velbertensis n. sp. as the first representative of the Onychasteridae in the Rhenish Schiefergebirge.K urzfass ung: Vier Ophiuren-Vorkommen (drei neue und ein bereits bekanntes) des hohen Oberdevons im niirdlichen Rheinischen Schiefergebirge werden bearbeitet. Daraus werden die folgenden Formen beschrieben: 2 Protasteridae, Pro taster ?ubaghsi n. sp. und ein juveniles Exemplar, gen. et spec. indet.; 2 neue (unbenannte) Arten der revisionsbediirftigen GattungFurcaster; Ophiaulax decheni mit den Platten der Primarrosette und weiteren neuen Strukturen; Stephanoura belgica mit zahlreichen juvenilen Exemplaren; Onychaster ?velbertensis n. sp. als erster Vertreter der Onychasteridae im Rheinischen Schiefergebirge.

Asterozoans from the Ludlow Series (upper Silurian) of Leintwardine, Herefordshire, UK

“…12), and limitations in the silicone casting replication along the extreme ventral edge of the Adambb, this identification is tentative. Spine number per Adamb is comparable to that described in other species (between three and five recorded variously by Haude , ; Haude & Thomas ). In agreement with Dean Shackleton (), groove spines have not been identified in F .…”

“…Spencer (1925) recognized only Furcaster leptosoma (Salter, ) from Leintwardine (synonymizing the Hunsrück species, see remarks below) and Furcaster trepidans Spencer, 1925 from the Ashgill Series, Upper Ordovician of Girvan, Scotland . Furcaster separatus Haude, is known from the Lower Devonian of Argentina, whilst Haude & Thomas () described two species from the Upper Devonian, of the Northern Rhenish area of Germany. A further undetermined species is also known from the lower Carboniferous of Germany (Haude ).…”

“…Furcaster separatus Haude, is known from the Lower Devonian of Argentina, whilst Haude & Thomas () described two species from the Upper Devonian, of the Northern Rhenish area of Germany. A further undetermined species is also known from the lower Carboniferous of Germany (Haude ). Dorsal Amb morphology is of primary importance in specific discrimination.…”

“…C, I, J, L). Vertical spine number per Adambb may have some use as a specific discriminator; species described by Haude (, ) and Haude & Thomas () have greater than eight per Adambb (although a further species described by Haude & Thomas () has five to six per Adamb). Although unspecified by Spencer (1925) and Dean Shackleton (), vertical spine number in F .…”

“…Groove spines are only tentatively identified here in F . leptosoma , although Haude () noted their presence in NHMUK E 13135, describing them as leaf‐like, in common with other species of the genus including F . palaeozoicus (also see Haude , fig.…”