Protencrinus baliensis Webster, 2012b

Protencrinus baliensis Webster, 2012b

Figs. 4C View Fig , 6A View Fig .

Type material: Holotype: CrdKap12, aboral cup without arms or column. Paratype: CrdKap11, moderately preserved aboral cup.

Type locality: Crete, Greece .

Type horizon: Galinos Beds, Permian (Cisuralian).

Material. —GMJ PAL-0000002, aboral cup without arms or column from Permian, Cisuralian, middle to upper Artinskian, Slovenia.

Diagnosis. —Aboral cup subpentagonal in outline, shallow basal concavity, smooth sculpturing, relative width of suture between infrabasal plates and radial plates wide, basals not in lateral contact, basal plates relatively large.

Measurements. —ACW, ~21.1.

Description. —Aboral cup flat(?) bowl shape, subpentagonal in outline, shallow basal concavity, plates gently convex, smooth sculpturing. Infrabasal circlet extends well beyond proximal columnal; five infrabasal plates, wider than high, in sutural contact with radial plates distally. Basal circlet visible in lateral view, interrupted in all rays ( Fig. 6A View Fig ); basal plates five, tetragonal with each side convex, as wide as high, smaller than radial plates. Radial circlet not interrupted in CD interray; radial plates five, hexagonal, much wider than high. Radial facets plenary, other details of the radial facets unknown. No posterior interray plates in aboral cup. Oral surface, anal sac, arms, and column unknown.

Remarks.— Protencrinus baliensis is diagnosed by having an oral cup subpentagonal in outline, shallow basal concavity, smooth sculpturing, relative width of suture between infrabasal plates and radial plates wide, basals not in lateral contact, basal plates relatively wide. In contrast, P. atoka has an oral cup subcircular in outline, shallow? basal concavity, presumably smooth sculpturing, relative width of suture between infrabasal plates and radial plates narrow or absent, lateral contact between radial and basal plates present or absent, basal plates relatively wide; P. lobatus has an oral cup pentalobate in outline, deep basal concavity, smooth plate sculpturing, relative width of suture between infrabasal plates and radial plates narrow, basals not in lateral contact, basal plates relatively small; P. moscoviensis has an oral cup circular in outline, shallow basal concavity, relative width of suture between infrabasal plates and radial plates narrow, basals not in lateral contact, basal plates relatively wide; P. mutabilis has an oral cup subcircular in outline, deep basal concavity, relative width of suture between infrabasal plates and radial plates narrow or absent, lateral contact between basal plates present or absent, basal plates relatively narrow; and Protencrinus ? sp. indet. (in Hashimoto 1984) has an oral cup subpentagonal in outline, shallow basal concavity, suture between infrabasal plates and radial plates wide narrow or absent, lateral contact between basal plates present or absent, basal plates relatively wide.

Stratigraphic and geographic range. —Lower Permian, series undesignated, Crete, Greece; Permian, Cisuralian, Asselian, Dajian Member, Taiyuan Formation, North China;

Trogkofel Group, Permian, Cisuralian, middle to upper Artinskian, near Dovje, Slovenia.

Eucladida indet. A Fig. 4G View Fig .

Material. —GMJ:PA-0000014b, isolated aboral cup with radial facets broken from radial plates, from lower Permian, West Timor; Permian, Cisuralian, middle to upper Artinskian, Slovenia.

Measurements. —ACH, 16.7; ACW, ~36.0.

Description. —Aboral cup low bowl shape, height width ratio ~0.55; plates convex, smooth sculpturing. Infrabasal circlet very small, presumably hidden beneath proximal columnal. Basal plate circlet large; basal plates appear to be fused but five basals separated by faint sutures. Radial plates five, pentagonal, slightly wider than high. Radial facets plenary, horizontally oriented, articular ridge probably across full width of facet, but other details of radial facet not known. Posterior interray, oral surface, anal sac, and arms unknown. Proximal columnal circular; other aspects of the column unknown.

Remarks. —Eucladida indet. A ( Fig. 4G View Fig ) has a very distinctive morphology with a very small infrabasal circlet completely covered by the proximal columnal and a large, convex basal circlet in which the plate sutures are so faint that the basal plates appear to be fused into a single plate. This appears to be a unique morphology for Permian crinoids, but the non-preservation of the posterior interray and arms preclude naming a new taxon.

The unusual character of the basal circlet is similar to species of Bronaughocrinus Strimple, 1951 ; Pentaramicrinus Sutton and Winkler, 1940 ; Cryphiocrinus Kirk, 1929 ; and Contocrinus Knapp, 1969 —all of which are Carboniferous in age.

Crinoidea indet.

Figs. 3 View Fig , 4B, D, E View Fig , 5A, B View Fig .

Material.—PMSLJ Ba369, Ba370, Ba374, Ba381, Ba1744, GMJ:PAL-0000014d, 0000370, 0000372, 000373a, b, from Permian, Cisuralian, middle to upper Artinskian, Slovenia.

Remarks. —Based on incompletely preserved arms, aboral cups, isolated infrabasal circlets, and columnals and pluricolumnals, crinoids named above are only a small part of the overall crinoid diversity in the Trogkofel Group. Fig. 5A View Fig is an incomplete set of arms that are broad and flat to gently convex, and the brachials are chisel biserial. Fig. 5B View Fig is also an incomplete set of arms with chisel biserial brachials. These incomplete sets of arms belong to two taxa. The individual brachials in Fig. 5A View Fig are flat to gently convex, whereas those in Fig. 5B View Fig are moderately convex with a nodose appearance. Without knowing the structure of the aboral cup it is not possible to identify these arms to a genus.

Infrabasal circlets for a cladid crinoid ( Fig. 4D, E View Fig ) and are most likely distinct taxa, but the specimens are too incomplete or too poorly preserved to assign to a genus or species. Fig. 4D View Fig is 18.4 mm in diameter. It is an infrabasal circlet with a very wide column attachment covering ~50% of the diameter of the circlet with a narrow crenularium and a wide areola. Five infrabasal plates are in this circlet. Similarly, Fig. 4E View Fig is an infrabasal circlet that cannot be assigned to a genus. It is 31.6 mm in diameter, and it contrasts with Fig. 4D View Fig by having a very small column attachment covering only ~18% of the circlet width. It has a raised rim around the column attachment and radially arranged ridges and grooves.

In addition to the Platycrinitidae columnal discussed above, many isolated columnals and pluricolumnals are present in the Trogkofel Group fauna ( Fig. 3 View Fig ). They are preserved both in calcite (e.g., Fig. 3D View Fig ) or in moldic preservation ( Fig. 3C View Fig ). Sizes of these columnals and pluricolumnals vary considerably with the largest column diameter ~ 45 mm and the largest pluricolumnal height 80.2 mm. Fig. 3F View Fig is probably the distal, holdfast portion of a column. In addition to a few columnals, numerous plates from the partially disarticulated radices are preserved. With the exception of the Platycrinitidae columnals noted above, isolated columnals and pluricolumnals cannot be linked to crown-based taxa.