Stauraster primaevus (von Zittel, 1880)

Gale, Andrew Scott, 2021, Taxonomy and phylogeny of the ‘ football stars’ (Asteroidea, Sphaerasteridae), Journal of Systematic Palaeontology 19 (10), pp. 691-741 : 700-702

publication ID

https://doi.org/ 10.1080/14772019.2021.1960911

publication LSID

lsid:zoobank.org:pub:F8991F09-B5FB-40EF-B4CC-474D925085B8

DOI

https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.10949860

persistent identifier

https://treatment.plazi.org/id/B9207C41-9A7C-FFF7-0CA7-FDA8FDCAFE5B

treatment provided by

Felipe

scientific name

Stauraster primaevus (von Zittel, 1880)
status

 

Stauraster primaevus (von Zittel, 1880) View in CoL

( Fig. 5A–N View Figure 5 )

$1880 Pentaceros primaevus von Zittel : 456, fig. 327c.

1886 Pentaceros primaevus von Zittel ; Fraas: 256, pl. 30, figs 18, 19.

$1929 Stauraster billodense Valette : 36, pl. 4/3, 1–7.

1975 Stauraster primaevus (von Zittel) ; Hess: 36.

2003 Stauraster billodense Valette ; Courville & Villier: 182, fig. 3D–G.

2004b Stauraster billodense Valette ; Villier et al.: 39.

Type. The radial ossicle figured by von Zittel (1880, fig. 327c) from the ‘Oberer Jura’ ( upper Oxfordian ) of Streitberg, Franconia, Bavaria, Germany, is the lectotype. The present whereabouts are unknown .

Diagnosis. As for the genus.

Material. A well-preserved arm, from the upper Oxfordian of Switzerland ( MZA L246 ) and numerous isolated ossicles ( Fig. 5A–N View Figure 5 , NHMUK EE 17624–17632, 17638) from the lower Oxfordian (Couches de Passage, uppermost 3 m of section; Gale 2019, fig. 20) of Andelot-Morvan (Jura, France) .

Remarks. The ossicle figured by von Zittel (1880, fig. 327c) in the form of a rather stylized woodcut is a proximal radial ossicle that is closely similar in morphology to material from France described by Valette as S. billodense , in terms of shape, the presence of vertical, oval articulation structures and rather deeply impressed spine pits. Additionally, both species are of Oxfordian age. The ossicles appear to be similar in shape and sculpture, allowing for Von Zittel’ s stylized illustration, and I therefore follow Hess (1975) in synonomizing S. billodense with von Zittel’ s species. There is an age difference of approximately 3 million years between the two occurrences, but both are Oxfordian in age; many Jurassic asteroids have relatively long ranges, so this is not unusual. The material figured by Fraas as Pentaceros primaevus ( Fraas 1886, pl. 30, figs 17–31) appears to contain diverse taxa, including a bulbous primary radial or interradial (Frass 1886, fig. 17) which is an undescribed stauranderasterid. Two disc ossicles (Frass 1886, figs 18, 19) may belong to S. billodense .

The discovery of an articulated arm of S. primaevus demonstrates the morphology of Stauraster for the first time ( Fig. 5A–C View Figure 5 ), and the numerous ossicles from Andelot-Morvan allow a tentative reconstruction of the disc ( Fig. 5O View Figure 5 ).

Included species. Stauraster primaevus .

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