Bulletins of American Paleontology

BUI,I,ETINS OF AMERICAN PAI,EONTOI,OGY Vol. ao No. 70C Some Cretaceous and Tertiary Echinoids from Cuba By Norman E, Weisbord July 7, 1934 Paleontological Research Institution, Ithaca, NewYork U. S'. A. INTRODUCTION The echinoids described herewith were collected by the writer in the years 1931 to 1933 while engaged in a study of the geology of Cuba for The Atlantic Refining Company of Philadelphia. Permission to pu'blish this paper has been generously granted by this company through the intercession of Dr. Roy E. Dickerson, its chief geologist, to whom the writer is indebted for this and for his many helpful suggestions. The writer also wishes to express his appreciation to Professor G. D. Harris for the use of the facilities of the paleontological labratory of Cornell University and of the new-^born Paleonto- logical Research Institution, of which he is founder. The types of the new species described in this article are deposited in the Paleontological Research Institution at Ithaca, New York, in a fire-proof building recentlty constructed by Professor Harris. In this connection it might be well to state that most of the types of new species collected by the students of Professor Harris are to be deposited here where they can be properly cared for and safe from the hazards of fire. By express provision of the char- ter of the Institution, all collections contained therein may be studied by any bona-fide student of paleontology. Whenever any doubt exists in the identity of the Cuban species with those in other parts of the world, the writer has pre- ferred to call the Cuban species new, calling attention, however, to its similarity to the form with which it has been compared. Even slight differences, if specific and not individual, may be of stratigraphic importance, and until such time as the stratigraphy and paleontology of the West Indies are more thoroughly known, it seems advisable to separate species if reasonable doubt exists concerning their similarity. This atti1*ude may seem inconsistent when it is observed that the writer has lumped many differently shaped forms into one species, as for example in Lanieria lanieri (d'Oi'ibigny), Oligopygus sanchezi Lambert and Jacksonaster acunai Roig. In these species the differences of various specimens are individual rather than specific and actually intergradc I1PR27 1M9 BXJLLETIN 70C 168 as can be seen by studying the large number of examples in our collection. On the other hand, when there are not many specimens available for comparison, as in the various species of Peronella, it is necessary to split species on the evidence adduced from the forms available. The justification of such a procedure will be determined when large collections are obtained in the future. LOCALITIES The Cuban echinoids discussed in this report come from five different localities. These localities, in ascending stratigraphic sequence, are the following: 1. On the property of Central San Antonio, 150 meters northwest of the sugar cane loading rack at Esperanza switch. This switch lies on the private railroad of Central San Antonio, about 10 kilometers east of the mill and town of Madruga, near the eastern boundary of Habana Province. 2. In road cut at Loma Calisto, approximately 800 meters southwest of the south end of the town of Nuevitas, on the road leading toward Belen, Province of Camaguey. Nuevitas lies on the north coast of Cuba, on Nuevitas Bay. 3. From cut along the railroad between Neuvitas and Pas- telillo, about two kilometers southeast of Neuvitas railroad sta- tion, Province of Camagiiey. This railroad is a branch line of the Ferrocarril Central de Cuba, extending to Camaguey City. It should not be confused with the Ferrocarril del Norte which lies a short distance north of and parallel to it, but which termi- nates at Puerto Tarafa, not Pastelillo. 4. On road between Entronque Paso Real and Son Diego de Los Banos, 3 kilometers northwest of Entronque Paso Real, Pinar del Rio Province. Entronque Paso Real is a road junction on the Carretera Central (Central Highway), 49 kilometers east of Pinar del Rio City. 5. From the Central Flighway of Cuba, 150 meters east of kilometer post 440, between the towns of Jatibonico and Ciego de Avila, Province of Camaguey. : 169 Cuban Echinoids: Weisbord GEOLOGIC HORIZONS Antonio, 150 Locality No. i.-^On property of Central San San An- meters northwest of Esperanza switch on the Central of Madruga, tonio railroad, about 10 kilometers east of the town near the eastern boundary of Habana Province. the A'ge.—L.owev part of the Upper Cretaceous, between Cenomanian and Coniacian. L. Palmer and This locality was discovered by Dr. Robert The fossils col- shown to the writer by William D. Chawner. ploughed field, lected here by the writer were found in a newly The rock adhering to in earth derived from underlying marls. rather porous some of the specimens is a tan, marly limestone, indurated limestone is com- in texture when weathered. The forammifera, posed primarily of calcareous sand grains and some the calcareous tests the sand grains having been derived from of various invertebrate organisms. The echinoids from this locality are the following Goniopygus supremus Hawkins Codiopsis ciae Lambert Coenholectypus cubae Hawkins Lanieria lanieri (d'Orbigny) Echinobrissus cubensis Weisbord, n. sp. Cassidulus cubensis Weisbord, n. sp. Catopygus jeanneti Lambert Clypeopygus habanensis Weisbord, n. sp. Hemiaster cf. antillensis Cotteau Hemiaster madrugensis Weisbord, n. sp. Hemiaster siboneyensis Weisbord, n. sp. with Goniopygus supremus Hawkins from Cuba is identical Jamaica by Hawkins. In the species originally described from Rudistid Limestone which is believed Jamaica it occurs in the Turnonian age by Woolacott^ and Hawkins^ to be of possible Goniopygus menardi Agassiz, The species is nearly identical with ranges from the Ceno- particularly the variety glohosa, which 1922. lAnnals and Mag. Nat. Hist., vol. 10, 9th ser., p. 535, 1924. 2Geol. Mag., vol. 61, No. 721, p. 315, Bulletin 70C - 170 manian to the lower Senonian in Europe. It also may be compared with Goniopygus major Agassiz from the Cenomanian of France, although this species has three, instead of four excava- tions in the genitals at the periproct. Codiopsis ciae Lambert is so close to Codiopsis arnaudi Cot- teau from the lower Senonian of France that Cotteau, who originally named arnaudi, mistakenly identified the Cuban species as the same. Lambert^, in reviewing the work of Cotteau and Egozcue^a, noted that the Cuban Codiopsis "arnaudi" is quite different from the type species described from France and renamed it Codiopsis ciae. The Cuban form may also be compared to Codiopsis texana from the Buda Limestone (Cenoman- ian) of Texas, \J. S. A. Coenholectypus cithae Hawkins and Lanieria lanieri (d'Orbig- ny), two very interesting species which occur together and strongly resemble one another, have no close affinities, except perhaps for Metholectypus trechmanni from the Barretia beds of Jamaica. The Barretia beds are older than the Rudistid Lime- stone horizon of Jamaica, hence possibly Cenomanian in age. The genus Echinobrissus is well developed in the Neocomian, Cenomanian and Senonian of France. The Cuban species Echinobrissus cubens's Weisbord, n. sp. is more closely allied to the Cenomanian and Senonian forms of that country than to the Neocomian. It resembles Echinobrissus similis d'Orbigny from Etage 20 of the Cenomanian, and is even more closely allied to Echinobrissus min'nius d'Orbigny from Etage 22 of the Senonian. The Senonian aspect is somewhat further heightened by the distant relationship of our form to Echinobrissus texanus Clark from the Austin Chalk of Texas, U. S. A. The Austin Chalk may be equivalent to a portion of the Coniacian of lower Senonian age. Cassidulus cubensis Weisibord, n. sp. is quite distinct from hitherto described species so that a comparison cannot be made between it and other forms. Cafopygus jeanneti Lambert is also without near relationship, although it may be compared with 3Revue Critique de Paleozoologie, vol. 2, p. 30, 1898. 3a Bol. Comision Mapa Geol. de Espaiia, vol. 22, pp. 14, 15, pi. 1, fig^s. 10- 15, 1897. 171 Cuban Echinoids: Weisboed 7 Botriopygus ntuistarum Hawkins from the Rudistid Limestone from the age in Jamaica, and Catopygus oviformis Conrad Vincentown Sand of Maestrichtian age in New Jersey, U. S. A. Cen- Roig' reports a Caiopygiis roariguezi from the Senonian at but Catopy- tral Stewart, Ciego de Avila, Province of Camaghey, species. gus jeanneti is decidedly different from that io Clypeopygus habanensis Weisbord, n. sp., the Brazihan Echiuobrissus fretas. White, from the lower part of the Upper super- Cretaceous, invites comparison, though the resemblance is habanensis has been ficial only. Yet of all the forms with which compared, the Brazilian one oddly enough is the closest. The three species of Hcmiaster show a greater resemblance to forms found elsewhere in the lower part of the Upper Cretace- Weisbord re- ous, although one species, Henuaster siboneyensis (Morton) and calls in a general way Hemiasier parastatus (Maes- Hemiaster stella (Morton) both of the Vincetown Sand antillensis trichtian) of New Jersey. However Hemiaster cf. Cotteau far more closely resembles Hemiaster fourneli Desor from the Turonian of Europe and northern Africa, and Hemi- (Coniacian aster nucleus Disor from the base of the Senonian Hemiaster, or Emscherian) in France. The third species of Hemiaster madrugensis Weisbord, n. sp. finds its nearest ana- Group logue m Hemiaster vicinus Stoliczka from the Ootatoor (Cenomanian) of southern India. them Of the eleven species described from this locality, nine of resemble forms found outside of Cuba in the lower or middle part of the Upper Cretaceous, or to use the European terminol- Senon- ogy, in horizons between the Cenomanian and the Lower ian (Coniacian).

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