Journal of Paleontology; July 2002; v. 76; no. 4;
p. 733-740; DOI: 10.1666/0022-3360(2002)076<0733:ARONHP>2.0.CO;2
© 2002 Paleontological Society
A REVISION OF NOVACYSTIS HAWKESI PAUL AND BOLTON 1991 (MIDDLE SILURIAN: GLYPTOCYSTITIDA, ECHINODERMATA) AND THE PHYLOGENY OF EARLY CALLOCYSTITIDS
COLIN D. SUMRALL1 and
CARLTON E. BRETT2
2 Department of Geoscience, University of Iowa, Iowa City 52242, and Department of Geology, University of Cincinnati, Ohio 45221-0013, carlton.brett{at}uc.edu
1 Present Address: Department of Geological Sciences, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN 37996
A relatively large new specimen of the callocystitid rhombiferan Novacystis hawkesi Paul and Bolton, 1991, is described from the Wenlock (Middle Silurian) Thornloe Formation of east-central Ontario. This new specimen adds to the known morphology of Novacystis hawkesi, including the plating of the thecal side opposite the periproct, the presence of four pectinirhombs in standard callocystitid placements, and brachiole morphology. It also confirms the unusual placement of the periproct previously described for this species. A phylogenetic analysis of Callocystitidae indicates that, as presently defined, Callocystitinae sensu Paul and Bolton is polyphyletic and Apiocystitinae is paraphyletic. Novacystis forms part of a small, relatively primitive echinoderm fauna, probably of middle Wenlock age from the Timiskaming area, suggesting that shallow cratonic areas of the Canadian shield area may have served as refugium for archaic echinoderm taxa.
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