Revisión taxonómica de "Echinosphaerites" murchisoni Verneuil y Barrande, 1855 (Echinodermata, Diploporita) del Ordovícico Medio centroibérico (España)

Abstract

The holotype of''Echinosphaerites'' murchisoni Verneuil and Barrande 1855 is reviewed, and proposed as the type species of Oretanocalix gen. nov. The new genus is characterised by an elongate theca of medium size, that aborally shows a pair of long and prominent parietal septa interpreted as mesenterical; mouth narrow and elongate, with five very short ambulacra, the anterior comparatively reduced, ending in a set of few brachiole facets. The presence of a 2-1-2 ambulacraI system with an atrophied A-ambulacrum could denote a simplification leading to the 2-2 pattern of Calix or Phlyctocystis. The new genus ranges from Oretanian to Dobrotivian in age, and is distributed in Central Spain, the Moroccan Anti-Atlas and the French Armorican Massif