Publication Date:
2024-01-12
Description:
The specific diversity of fossil crinoids from the Much Wenlock Limestone Formation at Dudley, Worcestershire, and in Shropshire differ by an order of magnitude. The latter are relatively depauperate and include only about six nominal species. Over 165 years ago, a specimen from Coalbrookdale, Shropshire, was identified as Cyathocrinites tuberculatus Miller (= the taxocrinid flexible Protaxocrinus tuberculatus (Miller)). This specimen, although indifferently preserved, is distinct from other Silurian crinoids of the British Isles and is described herein as a monobathrid camerate, Macrostylocrinus? jefferiesi sp. nov. This species has a moderately large, conical dorsal cup with at least 20 arms, broad primibrachials, a granular surface sculpture and no ray ridges. It is close in morphology to a ten armed species from the Much Wenlock Limestone Formation of Dudley, Macrostylocrinus anglicus Jaekel, although different in sculpture.
Keywords:
systematics
;
crinoids
;
Macrostylocrinus
;
Wenlock
;
Silurian
;
England
Repository Name:
National Museum of Natural History, Netherlands
Type:
info:eu-repo/semantics/article
Format:
application/pdf
