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A new ophiuroid from the Sundays River Formation (Lower Cretaceous), South Africa

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  14 July 2015

Russell W. Shone*
Affiliation:
Department of Geology, University of Port Elizabeth, P.O. Box 1600, Port Elizabeth 6000, Republic of South Africa

Abstract

Ophiolancea swartkopensis n. gen. and sp. is the first ophiuroid to be described from the Lower Cretaceous (Valanginian) Sundays River Formation, South Africa. Ophiolancea is distinguished by lanceolate lateral arm shields which occur on the distal portions of the arms. Associated fauna and stratigraphic evidence suggest that the specimen was buried in an intertidal mud flat.

Type
Research Article
Copyright
Copyright © The Paleontological Society 

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