Paleontological Society

Huhatanka, a New Genus of (: Mecochiridae) from the Kiowa Formation (: Albian) of Kansas Author(s): Rodney M. Feldmann and Ronald R. West Source: Journal of Paleontology, Vol. 52, No. 6 (Nov., 1978), pp. 1219-1226 Published by: SEPM Society for Sedimentary Geology Stable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/1303932 Accessed: 22/02/2009 21:33

Your use of the JSTOR archive indicates your acceptance of JSTOR's Terms and Conditions of Use, available at http://www.jstor.org/page/info/about/policies/terms.jsp. JSTOR's Terms and Conditions of Use provides, in part, that unless you have obtained prior permission, you may not download an entire issue of a journal or multiple copies of articles, and you may use content in the JSTOR archive only for your personal, non-commercial use.

Please contact the publisher regarding any further use of this work. Publisher contact information may be obtained at http://www.jstor.org/action/showPublisher?publisherCode=sepm.

Each copy of any part of a JSTOR transmission must contain the same copyright notice that appears on the screen or printed page of such transmission.

JSTOR is a not-for-profit organization founded in 1995 to build trusted digital archives for scholarship. We work with the scholarly community to preserve their work and the materials they rely upon, and to build a common research platform that promotes the discovery and use of these resources. For more information about JSTOR, please contact [email protected].

Paleontological Society and SEPM Society for Sedimentary Geology are collaborating with JSTOR to digitize, preserve and extend access to Journal of Paleontology.

http://www.jstor.org JOURNAL OF PALEONTOLOGY,V. 52, NO. 6, P. 1219-1226, 1 PL., 3 TEXT-FIGS., NOVEMBER 1978

HUHATANKA, A NEW GENUS OF LOBSTER (DECAPODA: MECOCHIRIDAE) FROM THE KIOWA FORMATION (CRETACEOUS: ALBIAN) OF KANSAS RODNEY M. FELDMANN AND RONALDR. WEST Kent State University, Kent, Ohio 44242 and Kansas State University, Manhattan 66506

ABSTRACT-Reexamination of the type material of Squilla? kiowana Scott, 1970 and study of addi- tional specimens of the same taxon indicates that it is a mecochirid decapod referable to a new genus, Huhatanka. This assignment brings to five the number of North American species referable to the Mecochiridae.

INTRODUCTION Formation but have yet to be verified and de- R. com- THE Kiowa Formation has been the subject scribed (Frederick Schram, pers. The of in the of a number of recent papers dealing with var- mun.). majority species family have been described from and the ious aspects of Cretaceous stratigraphy and Germany British Isles in addition to these lo- paleontology. In 1970, Scott described the or- although calities and North American ganisms collected from the unit, carefully de- occurrences, spe- cies have been described also from localities in fined their position in the stratigraphic se- New Zealand and Antarctica quence and detailed the paleoecological Africa, (Forster, this broad distribu- setting of the unit. One of the forms collected 1971). Notwithstanding mecochirids are rare . was a small, poorly preserved rep- tion, resented two which Scott by specimens (1970, SYSTEMATIC PALEONTOLOGY p. 85) referred to the Squillidae, a family of 1803 stomatopods. Subsequently, the senior author Order DECAPODALatreille, received five specimens of equally poorly pre- Infraorder PALINURALatreille, 1803 1883 served specimens from Loren Avis, then a stu- Superfamily Winckler, 1925 dent at Wichita State University. The speci- Family MECOCHIRIDAEvan Straelen, mens remained a curiosity until, in 1976, the Genus HUHATANKAn. gen. junior author brought together ten specimens Type species.--Squilla? kiowana Scott, which had been collected by students at Kan- 1970, by original designation. sas State University. This material, some of Description.-Cephalothorax with short, which was better preserved than the earlier smooth rostrum; median, subdorsal and sub- discoveries, permitted us to accurately identify orbital pustulose ridges; oblique, subparallel the organisms for the first time, refer them to cervical and postcervical grooves; branchio- the proper order and frame a more complete cardiac groove weak or absent. Abdomen gen- and detailed description of the . erally smooth; pleuron of first abdominal so- The placement of this species in the Meco- mite quadrate; that of remaining somites chiridae brings to five the total number of spe- elongate oval to nearly circular. Pereiopods cies in this family described from North Amer- long, slender, achelate throughout, generally ica. Two species of Pseudoglyphea, P. mulleri smooth. van Straelen, 1936 and P. bordenensis (Cope- Remarks.-Forster recently (1971) sum- land), 1960 have been described from the Ju- marized information on known representa- rassic of Nevada and Borden Island, Canada, tives of the Mecochiridae. He recognized only respectively and two species of Meyeria, M. Pseudoglyphea Oppel, 1861, and mexicanus (Rathbun) 1935 and M. ? harveyi German, 1827, as valid genera and considered Woodward, 1900 have been described from Meyeria M'Coy, 1849, synonymous with Me- the Cretaceous of Mexico and British Colum- cochirus; Selenisca von Meyer, 1847, synon- bia, respectively. The only other possible rep- ymous with thereby placing it in the resentatives of the family are three specimens ; and Praeatya Woodward, 1868, which have been collected from the Sundance synonymous with Pseudoglyphea. Selenisca Copyright ? 1978, The Society of Economic Paleontologists and Mineralogists 1219 1220 RODNEY M. FELDMANN AND RONALD R. WEST

The degree of difference shown between I forms typically assigned to the two genera ap- I pears to us to be great enough that the genus I Meyeria Meyeria should be retained to include those I 0 (0m species with thicker, spinose or pustulose, in- -kc U_ c ornamented abdomina and relative- co I tegument, .- c LUJ -v Il ly shorter first pereiopods. These types of dif- OuU ferences are comparable to those used as Huhatanka points of generic distinction in better known, I recent decapods, such as genera of the Ne- I phropidae (Holthuis, 1974). I Using generic discriminators similar to those I i used by Forster (1971), but retaining Meyeria I as a distinct genus, the specimens referred to I Huhatanka n. cannot be I gen. clearly assigned to taxa is I existing (Text-fig. 1). Pseudoglyphea u Mecochirus characterized of well Li by possession developed, I broad postcervical and branchiocardiac (1 5 I grooves, neither of which parallels the cervical a I groove; spinose rostrum; subquadrate pleura Q, on the second abdominal somite; and a flat- tened, spiney propodus on the first pereiopods. 0 A point of similarity between this genus and 7O I 3 Psud l Huhatanka is that both have propoda that do _|)*"- Pseudo lyphea not exceed the length of the cephalothorax. Both Mecochirus and Meyeria have extremely Li I long first pereiopods and in both cases, the --_ I propoda exceed the length of the cephalotho- L I rax. The pleura of the second abdominal so- mite in Mecochirus are triangular whereas TEXT-FIG.1 -Stratigraphic distribution of genera those of are reduced and referableto the Mecochiridae. data and Meyeria subquad- Range rate. The of both these morphologicsketches, with the exceptionof those groove patterns genera for Huhatanka, were taken from Forster (1971) resemble that of Huhatanka in that they are and Glaessner(1969). reduced and much more subtly expressed than in Pseudoglyphea. This character has led to quite variable interpretations of groove pat- and Praeatya had been questionably referred terns (compare, for example, Forster, 1971, to the Mecochiridae by Glaessner (1969, p. fig. 5 and Glaessner, 1969, fig. 271, 1). The R466-R467). Meyeria was placed, without branchiocardiac groove in Huhatanka is re- question, in the Mecochiridae by Glaessner duced to the point that it can no longer be (1969, p. R465) and was considered distin- identified with certainty. guishable from Mecochirus based on the or- Another aspect of the morphology of this namentation of the cephalothorax and abdo- group that has been subject to several different men as well as the length of the first pereiopod. interpretations is that of the nature of the ter- Forster (1971, p. 398) argued that the distinc- mination of the pereiopods. Forster (1971, p. tion between the two genera was primarily 404), for example, described the first two pe- stratigraphic and that because the species as- reiopods of Mecochirus as subchelate although signed to the two genera were typically pre- the widely accepted definition of subchelate served in different styles, it was difficult to (Moore & McCormick, 1969, p. R102) would make detailed morphological comparisons. not embrace them. Subchelae must be grasp- Where it is possible, he suggested that the ing structures in which the dactylus rotates characters grade from one genus into another back onto some part of the propodus to pro- and the genera are, therefore, probably syn- duce a grasping surface. In Mecochirus and, onymous. for that matter, Pseudoglyphea the backward CRETACEOUS LOBSTER FROM KANSAS 1221 rotation of the dactylus is restricted by the presence of a spine on the distal termination of the propodus but no functional occlusal sur- face results (Text-fig. 1). Rather, the termi- nations of these appendages seem to be better modified for probing and, perhaps, raking the substrate in search of food. They could better be defined as achelate to distinguish them from the truly prehensile subchelae observed on TEXT-FIG.2-Reconstruction of Huhatanka kio- some glypheids, some palinurids and some sto- wana (Scott).Details of sixth abdominalsomite, telson and are matopods, for example. If the definition was uropods conjectural. thus restricted, none of the Mecochiridae would possess subchelae. Etymology.-The generic name is derived vical groove; marginal groove distinct on pos- from two Plains Indian words; Huha = limbs, terior and posteroventral margin of carapace, and tanka = large (Riggs, 1893). unobservable on anteroventral surface. Abdomen generally smooth; parts of first five abdominal somites are First HUHATANKA KIOWANA 1970 preserved. (Scott), somite somewhat second P1. 1, figs. 1-7; Text-fig. 2 reduced, through fifth somites similar in size. Terga with a sub- kiowana P1. 5. Squilla? SCOTT, 1970, p. 85, 7, fig. tle arcuate depression extending from the pos- Description.-Small size for family, cepha- terior articulating element anteriorally and lothorax less than 15 mm long. Cephalothorax dorsally to the midline, otherwise smooth. elongate, more than twice as long as high, Pleura smooth, separated from terga by a greatest height just posterior to the midpoint; broad shallow groove; pleuron of first somite dorsal surface slightly arched, posterior mar- small and quadrate, that of second somite gin sigmoid with posteriormost extension at elongate oval, slightly attenuate at the pos- ventral termination, ventral margin convex teroventral corner; pleura of third through posterior to the midpoint and straight or fifth somites nearly circular, smooth; terminal slightly concave anterior of the midpoint, an- segments of abdomen unknown. terior margin poorly known. Rostrum short, Cephalic appendages poorly known. Basal about 14% of total length measured along dor- antennar segments rectilinear, slightly longer sum, broad at the base and tapering to a nar- than wide, scaphocerite appears to be absent, row termination, not spinose; region anterior flagella long, slender. Thoracopods long and the cervical groove granular, median carina slender, apparently achelate, becoming pro- extends from rostrum posteriorad about half- gressively shorter toward posterior, the first way to cervical groove, subdorsal carinae are two exceeding the length of the carapace; all subtle ridges defined by slightly coarser gran- elements of the walking legs appear to be ulations than on remainder of anterior surface, smooth, slightly constricted at proximal and supraorbital carinae are subtle ridges defined distal terminations, with greatest width near by single row of granulations; region posterior the middle of each segment; dactyli long and to the cervical groove smooth or very slightly slender nearly the length of propodus and not pustulose, ornamented only by setal pits that closing on the propodus, length of dactyli de- are more concentrated along the dorsal mid- creasing posteriorly. line and diminish in size and concentration Remarks.-Scott (1970, p. 85) described this ventrally; cervical groove deeply impressed taxon based on two poorly preserved speci- extending in a nearly straight line from near mens and assigned them to the stomatopod the middle of the dorsal surface anteriorly and family Squillidae. Examination of his speci- ventrally toward anteroventral margin. Post- men would seem to indicate that they were not cervical groove weak, extending parallel the of sufficient quality to permit precise identifi- cervical groove from near dorsum to a point cation and, indeed, he only questionably as- about two-thirds the distance to the ventral signed them to the genus Squilla. Additional surface where it curves abruptly and sweeps collecting of the same locality and others in anteriorly and slightly dorsally to intersect cer- the vicinity have yielded more, and better, 1222 RODNEY M. FELDMANN AND RONALD R. WEST

TABLE1-Measurements (in mm) taken on specimens of Localities and stratigraphic position.--In Huhatanka kiowana (Scott). All measurements must be addition to the four localities from which Scott considered approximations because the specimens have been crushed. KU = University of Kansas Museum of (1970) collected material, specimens referred Invertebrate Paleontology; KSU = Kent State Univer- to this taxon were collected from the following of sity Department Geology. localities (KU = University of Kansas Mu- seum of Invertebrate KSU= Ceph- First Paleontology; alo- Perei- Kent State University Department of Geolo- Catalog thorax Abdomen opod gy). Number Length Length* Length KSU 2144 (1 & 2). Kiowa Formation. Build- KU 500396-Holotype 12.5 12.3 (3) ex Shale Quarry, north of Highway K-4 about KU 500397-Paratype 12.9 (5) 12 km west of McPherson KSU 2144 (1) 13.1 11.6 (5) 14.6 Lindsborg, Co., KSU 2144 (2) 14.1 Kansas. Coll. Loren Avis. This locality may KSU 3765 9.2 (4) be Scott's Locality M3 (1970, p. 91). KSU 3766 9.3 7.7 (4) KSU 3967 9.4 11.7 (6) 17.1 KSU 3764-3776. Lower Kiowa Formation. KSU 3768 9.0 5.3 (3) Exposure below Control Tower at Kanopolis KSU 3769 14.1 11.4 (5) sec. Ellsworth KSU 3770 10.7 10.2 (4) Dam, NE/4, 3, T17S, R6W, KSU 3771 10.3 9.6 (5) Co., Kansas. Coll. Loren Avis and students at KSU 3774 8.2 (4) Kansas State University. Probably Scott's Lo- KSU 3775 5.9 (3) cality E5 (1970, p. 90). * Numbers in parentheses indicate the number of ab- These localities, although possibly the same dominal somites measured. as Scott's localities, are considered distinct as there is no way to assure they are identical. specimens which permits placement in the All collecting sites are plotted on Text-fig. 3. Mecochiridae. This conclusion has been con- Paleoecology.-Scott (1970) reported this firmed by M. F. Glaessner (pers. commun., species from four localities in the Kiowa For- 1977) who independently determined that the mation of central Kansas. These four localities specimens described by Scott were not sto- outline an area of approximately 283 square matopods but were macrurans. km near the junction of Ellsworth, Saline and Placement of this taxon in the Mecochiridae McPherson counties, Kansas. In all cases the is based on the presence of well developed, specimens are preserved in a medium dark to subparallel cervical and postcervical grooves, dark gray, thinly laminated to laminated, ho- granular subdorsal and supraorbital ridges mogeneous to mottled, clay-sized shale/mud- and elongate slender pereiopods which lack stone associated at three of the sites with a chelate or well developed pseudochelate clo- cone-in-cone bed (Text-fig. 3). Mineralogically sures. Absence of chelate closures and no ap- the rock is composed of illite, montmorillonite parent "linea" would seem to rule out affinities and kaolinite with quartz, mica, glauconite with any of the anomurans, some of which and carbon as accessories. Scott (1970) inter- bear a superficial resemblance to Huhatanka preted these assemblages at all four localities kiowana. as disturbed neighborhood assemblages. As Measurements.-Measurements of the spec- defined, these assemblages are basically anal- imens of Huhatanka kiowana are given in Ta- ogous to a model II assemblage of Johnson ble 1. (1960) which means the life association is ba-

EXPLANATION OF PLATE 1 FIGS. 1-7-Huhatanka kiowana (Scott). 1, mold of dorsal surface of KSU 2144(1) showing ornamen- tation of the cephalic region and detail of the abdominal pleurae, x3; 2, mold of dorsal surface of KSU 3767 showing elongate pereiopods and bases of antennae, x3; 3-5, dorsal, left lateral and right lateral views of KSU 3768, the only inflated specimen, showing details of the groove pattern on the cephalothorax, x4; 6, oblique view of KSU 3771 showing the nature of ornamentation on cephalic and thoracic regions, x3; mold of right lateral surface of KSU 3770. The granular surface on this specimen is a result of secondary growth of gypsum, x3. CRETACEOUS LOBSTER FROM KANSAS 1223

1 _

~t~

2

3_

7 1224 RODNEY M. FELDMANN AND RONALD R. WEST

-4

'~. ,..': ,.. 10- ._--.. ..

. ., . . ~~--, . ?r -2 ._.,,.. ._ .

,- - , :

I . S ,,,. f 5- *;:.'...:%...ye. .... ,

/ I *... ..; ." _ _= r -- IELLSWORTH ?.?..; . . - I ft m "?? I i _c - '::l- ~I 1.'5 5-z_< *=.,-~~J.... . 3.? _ _ SALINE

. ?- s 2?1 4 McPHERSON

C__ .., _... __ RICE I

_-

\.? .._ ... I I _ L 10 + LB km 448 m above . s -~ ., ? rt sea level 17+ m above top of Permi an _ SAND ISTONEF^ I

_ ,

_, SANDSTONE or SILTSTONE |

_ _, _. _ SHALE

_ - _ _ _

_ _

_ _ _ CONE -IN- -CONE >

SHELL CONGLON EERATE-

SIDERITE CONCRE TIONS

TEXT-FIG.3-Stratigraphic section measured at Scott's Locality E6 (1970, p. 41). At this locality, typical of those from which Huhatanka kiowana has been collected, Scott lists the taxon as "common." Col- lecting sites indicated on the locality inset are as follows: 1, exposure below Control Tower at Kanopolis Dam. This locality may be Scott's Locality E5; 2, Scott's Locality E6; 3, Scott's Locality E2; 4, Buildex Shale Quarry. This locality may be Scott's Locality M3; 5, Scott's Locality S9. CRETACEOUS LOBSTER FROM KANSAS 1225

TABLE2-Composition and structure of the association containing Huhatanka kiowana. Data on numbers of specimens collected was taken from Scott (1970, table 3).

Per- No. of cent Speci- Speci- Taxa mens mens Niche Group Turritella belviderei 44 46.3 Infaunal, low level suspension feeder/swallower? Nuculana mutata 21 22.1 Infaunal, deposit feeder (swallower) Nucula cf. N. rivulana 7 7.4 Infaunal, deposit feeder (swallower) Leptosolen otterensis 5 5.3 Infaunal (deep), low level suspension feeder Tellina? sp. indet. 4 4.2 Infaunal, deposit feeder (swallower) Corbulids 3 3.2 Infaunal, low level suspension feeder Huhatanka kiowana 3 3.2 Epi/infaunal, scavenger/deposit feeder? Modiolus sp. 2 2.1 Epifaunal, high level suspension feeder Yoldia microdonta 1 1.0 Infaunal, deposit feeder (swallower) Breviarca subovata 1 1.0 Epifaunal, high level suspension feeder Crassinella semicostata 1 1.0 Infaunal, low level suspension feeder? Flaventia belviderensis 1 1.0 Infaunal, low level suspension feeder? Pholadomya? belviderensis 1 1.0 Infaunal, low level suspension feeder? ?Cytheridea sp. 1 1.0 Epi/infaunal scavenger/deposit feeder? sically preserved, though somewhat disturbed. blind and who inhabit the aphotic zone or bur- Assemblages containing Huhatanka were re- row. ferred to as Nuculana associations by Scott Extremely elongate antennae and elongate, (1970). Combining Scott's data for the four lo- achelate pereiopods can also be interpreted as calities (M3-1, E2-1, E6-2 and S9-4) we see an adaptation to a dark (turbid), low energy (Table 2) that 11 of the 14 taxa are bivalves. environment. This type of development would Considering all 14 taxa, four niche groups are facilitate searching out debris by scanning the represented; infaunal, low level suspension sea floor over a relatively broad area rather feeders (6 of 14 species); infaunal, deposit feed- than by aggressively capturing live food. Sum- ers (swallowers) (4 of 14 species); epifaunal, mation of the above observed characters sug- high level suspension feeders (2 of 14 species); gests that Huhatanka kiowana subsisted on with Huhatanka and the other arthropod, the detritus rather than live prey, which it iden- ostracode Cytheridea, making up the fourth tified by tactile and, perhaps, olfactory senses group of epi/infaunal, scavengers/deposit feed- rather than visually. Small size and, conceiv- ers? The two most abundant taxa (Turritella ably, a burrowing habit afforded the major belviderei and Nuculana mutata) are in differ- mechanisms of defense. ent niche groups suggesting some resource par- In general the environment was below wave titioning. base of a shallow, quiet epicontinental sea The integument of Huhatanka kiowana is with a substrate of organic rich mud that var- extremely thin and delicate and contains little ied from loose to firm. It was firm enough in or no strengthening ornamentation. Those some places to preserve burrows filled with decapods adapted to a shallow water, high en- fine sand and silt-sized quartz as evidenced by ergy environment, typically tend to have the mottled texture. Certainly there were pe- thicker or more heavily ornamented exoskel- riods of higher energy (storms) and some cur- etons than do the ones adapted to deeper or rents which increased turbidity and transport- quieter water. ed sand grains and shell fragments. Suggested Examination of the anterior region of the adaptations of Huhatanka kiowana and the cephalothorax shows little or no evidence of subequal distribution of all taxa in the asso- orbital ridges or reentrants marking the posi- ciation into two feeding groups (8 suspension tion of the eye stalks. Even though the anterior feeders and 6 deposit feeders) are compatible region of the cephalothorax is rather poorly with this inferred depositional environment. preserved in the specimens at hand, some evi- dence of the existence of these characters ACKNOWLEDGMENTS should be present if they were developed on During the course of the study material was the organism. Absence of both characters is made available by Loren Avis and students of typical of forms that have reduced eyes or are the Department of Geology at Kansas State 1226 RODNEY M. FELDMANN AND RONALD R. WEST

University. The type material of Squilla? kio- Holthuis, L. B. 1974. The lobsters of the Super- of the Atlantic Ocean wana was made available by Roger Kaesler, family Nephropidea (Crus- Museum of Invertebrate Uni- tacea: Decapoda). Bull. Mar. Sci. 24:723-884. Paleontology, R. G. 1960. Models and methods for of Kansas. with M. F. Johnson, versity Correspondence analysis of the mode of formation of assem- Glaessner and Rinehard Forster provided ad- blages. Geol. Soc. Am. Bull. 71:1075-1086. ditional insight into the study of these forms. Moore, R. C. and L. McCormick. 1969. General Our thanks to these individuals. The latter features of Crustacea, p. R57-R120. In R. C. part of the junior author's contribution was Moore (ed.), Treatise on Invertebrate Paleontol- tenure of a National Science ogy, Part R4(1), Arthropoda. Geol. Soc. Am. and prepared during Univ. Kans. Lawrence. Foundation Science Professional De- Press, Faculty Rathbun, M. J. 1935. Fossil Crustacea of the At- velopment Award at the Smithsonian Institu- lantic and Gulf coastal plain. Geol. Soc. Am. tion. Contribution 150, Department of Geol- Spec. Pap. 2:1-160. ogy, Kent State University. Riggs, S. R. 1893. Dakota grammar, texts, and ethnography. Contrib. North Am. Ethnogr. 9:1- REFERENCES 239. R. W. 1970. and M. 1960. Scott, Paleoecology paleontology Copeland, J. Erymastacus bordenensis, of the Lower Cretaceous Kiowa Kan- a new Mesozoic from the Canadian Arc- Formation, decapod sas. Univ. Kans. Paleontol. Contrib. 52:1-94. Surv. Can. Bull. 60:55-57. tic. Geol. V. van. 1936. Crustaces nou- R. 1971. Die eine Straelen, decapodes Forster, Mecochiridae, spezial- veaux ou connus de der peu l'Epoque Cretacique. isierte Familie mesozoischen Glypheoidea Bull. R. Mus. Nat. Hist. N. Geol. Palaontol. Belg. 12(45):1-50. (Crustacea, Decapoda). Jb. Woodward, H. 1900. Further notes on podo- Abh. 137:396-421. from the Creta- M. F. 1969. R400-R651. phthalmous Upper Glaessner, Decapoda, p. ceous formation of British Columbia, etc. Geol. In R. C. Moore (ed.), Treatise on Invertebrate Mag. n.s. 7:432435. Paleontology, Part R4(2), Arthropoda. Geol. Soc. Am. and Univ. Kans. Press, Lawrence. MANUSCRIPT RECEIVED NOVEMBER 17, 1977 REVISED MANUSCRIPT RECEIVED MARCH 30, 1978