NO, 3 CASSIDULOID ECHINOIDS — KIER 10/ 



Remarks. — Species of this genus are very abundant in the Tertiary. 

 According to Roman (1955, p. 689) there are more than 285 species. 

 Because of this large number of species several attempts have been 

 made to divide the genus into subgenera or sections. Lambert and 

 Thiery (i 921, pp. 377-384; 1924, p. 385) divide the genus into eight 

 sections, but these sections are distinguished on variable characters 

 as shown by the fact that different specimens of one species have been 

 referred to more than one section (see Kier, 1957, p. 848). Morten- 

 sen (1948, p. 272) "lumped" many of these sections but still main- 

 tained two subgenera and created a new third. It is my opinion that 

 all these sections and subgenera are based on characters too variable 

 to be of generic distinction. The shape in Echinolampas is so variable 

 that, for example, in Echinolampas fraasi De Loriol, specimens of 

 different sizes are so different in shape that Checchia-Rispoli referred 

 them to three different species, when in reality only one species was 

 represented as shown by a study of a large number of specimens from 

 one locality (Kier, 1957, p. 852). All these sections and subgenera 

 are herein considered synonyms of Echinolampas. I have included 

 figures of the phyllodes of several of the type species of these former 

 subgenera. 



Santos' (1958, p. 11) Anisopetalus oliveirai from the Miocene of 

 Brazil is an Echinolampas. I have studied the holotype and another 

 specimen. This species is an Echinolampas as shown by its infra- 

 marginal, transverse periproct. 



Range and distribution. — Eocene-Recent of worldwide distribution, 



DESCRIPTION OF TYPE SPECIES 

 ECHINOLAMPAS OVIFORMIS (Gmelin) 

 Plate 30, figures 1-4; text figure 90 

 Echinus oviformis Gmelin, 1789. Linn. Syst. Nat., ed. 13, p. 3187. 



Material. — One specimen studied at the Museum of Comparative 

 Zoology, Harvard. 



Shape. — Large, elongate, greatest width posterior to center, greatest 

 height near center, anterior surface steeply sloping, posterior less 

 steep, somewhat pointed, Adoral surface pulvinate, sunken around 

 peristome. 



Apical system. — Anterior, monobasal, with minute ocular plates. 



Ambulacra. — Petals short, petals II, III, and IV extending over 

 one-half distance to margin, petals V and I less than one-half. 

 Poriferous zones unequal, right zone of petal III longer than left, 

 posterior zones of petals II and IV longer than anterior, and outside 

 zones of petals V and I. Interporiferous zones three to four times 



