Wolfestheria Monferran et al. 2013

Genus Wolfestheria Monferran et al. 2013

Type species: Wolfestheria smekali Monferran et al., 2013 Cañadón Asfalto Formation ,

Puesto Almada Member, Late Jurassic, Chubut, Argentina.

Wolfestheria patagoniensi s Tasch (in Tasch and Volkheimer, 1970) comb. nov. ( Fig. 4 View Fig ) urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:4740A6B2-B4D5-46F8-B337-679A535D0372

Cyzicus (Lioestheria) patagoniensis Tasch (in Tasch and Volkheimer, 1970).

Material: Holotype MACN-Pi 4895; Paratypes: CTES-PZ-7.690, MEF-PI 1889.

Geographic provenance: Chubut province ( Argentina), Las Chacritas Member, Cañadón Asfalto Formation, Middle Jurassic. Cañadón Asfalto locality GPS: 43°30'4.3"S, 69°10'34.6"W.

Emended diagnosis: Carapace medium to large in size with a shape varying from elongated oval to round (elliptical); short and small umbo marginal in submedial to anterior position; dorsal margin short to long, anterior and posterior margins curved to sharply curved; growth bands ornamented with punctae mesh on the dorsal part of the carapace changing to irregular radial lirae with numerous cross-bars. Thick radial lirae with fewer cross-bars restricted to ventral zone of the carapace. Measurements (mm): L = 3.3–5, H = 2.5–4.3, H/L = 0.6–0.86, l = 1.3–3.3, a = 0.3–0.7, b = 1–2, c = 0.8–1.1, d = 1.2–1.3, e = 2–2.6.

Description: The carapace is medium to large in size with an outline varying from elongated oval to round (elliptical). The dorsal margin is short in round forms and long in elongated oval forms. The umbo is short/small marginal (0.4 mm) and projects anterior position. The anterior margin slightly curved to curved and posterior margin is curved to sharply curved (c/d = 0.06–0.2). Growth lines smooth, from 30 to 60 in number. Growth bands ornamented with evenly distributed punctae mesh (about 5 μm in diameter) on the dorsal-median part of the carapace ( Fig. 4B–D View Fig ), changing to irregular radial lirae (7.5 µm in width) with numerous cross-bars from the median-dorsal to ventral part of the carapace ( Fig. 4E–F View Fig ), and finally the radial lirae is thick (13.3 µm in width) with fewer cross-bars restricted to ventral zone of carapace and the interspaces between the radial lirae are wider (20 µm).

Remarks: Wolfestheria patagoniensis (Tasch, in Tasch and Volkheimer, 1970) was defined originally by Tasch as Cyzicus (Lioestheria) patagoniensis Tasch (in Tasch and Volkheimer 1970). According to the new SEM images, the morphological features allow us to define this species as belong to the Family Fushunograptidae and to the genus Wolfestheria . This genus was defined by Monferran et al. (2013) from the Upper Jurassic Puesto Almada Member of the Cañadón Asfalto Formation. Wolfestheria patagoniensis show similarities with the type species W. smekali Monferran et al., 2013 , in that species the outline varying from elongated oval to round and the radial lirae show numerous cross-bars from the median-dorsal to median-ventral part of the carapace changing to fewer cross-bars on ventral part. However, W. patagoniensis exhibits punctate mesh on the dorsal part, whereas W. smekali exhibits a lattice-like reticulation originated by abundant cross-bars. Also, in W. patagoniensis , the irregular radial lirae reach the upper part of the growth bands and the fewer cross-bars are limited to a few growth bands from ventral part of carapace. Comparisons with another fushunograptid genera, Cratostracus Huang, 1977, shows different outlines and growth lines pronounced with slightly serrated lower margin ( Li and Batten 2004). Qinghaiestheria Wang, 1983 from the Upper Jurassic Hongshuigou Formation in Qinghai and the Penglaizheng Formation in Sichuan ( Wang 1983; Shen and Chen 1982; Li 2004) also has serrate structure along the lower margin of the growth lines.