NO. 5 TERTIARY ECHINOIDS FROM FLORIDA — KIER 3 



The Caloosahatchee formation is described in detail by DuBar 

 (1958, 1962). It consists of tan, sandy or silty, extremely fossilif- 

 erous marl that uncomformably overlies the Tamiami formation. 



Many workers have considered the Caloosahatchee to be Pliocene 

 (Heilprin, 1887; Dall and Harris, 1892; Mansfield, 1939; Olsson 

 and Harbison, 1953; Bergendahl, 1956). However, DuBar (1958, 

 1962) and MacNeil (1962, personal communication) place it in the 

 Pleistocene. Unfortunately, the echinoids are of little assistance in 

 determining its age. There are no well-dated Pleistocene or Pliocene 

 echinoid faunas known in the Western Hemisphere to compare with 

 the Caloosahatchee echinoids, and the fauna is distinct from any of 

 the European faunas. Furthermore, the relationship of the fauna 

 to the Recent Caribbean fauna likewise gives no significant clues as 

 to the age of the formation. Five of the species are still living, but 

 three of them are subspecifically differentiated from Recent forms. 

 The two extinct species, Agassisia p or if era (Ravenel) and Rhyn- 

 cholampas ayresi Kier, new species, are distinct from any echinoids 

 now living in the Caribbean. These similarities and differences are 

 of little use in determining the age of the fauna until more is known 

 of the rate of speciation in Late Tertiary echinoids. 



ECHINOIDS FROM THE TAMIAMI FORMATION 



The Tamiami echinoid fauna consists of nine species, including 

 four new species and two new subspecies: 



Arbacia cremdata Kier, new species 



Lytechinus variegatus phtritnberculatus Kier, new subspecies 



Clypeaster crassus Kier, new species 



Clypeaster sminilandensis Kier, new species 



Encope tamiamiensis Mansfield 



Encope michelini imperforata Kier, new subspecies 



Mellita aclinensis Kier, new species 



Rhyncholampas evergladensis (Mansfield) 



Echinocardium gothicum (Ravenel) ? 



As redefined by Parker (1951) and DuBar (1958), the Tamiami 

 formation is represented by several facies. At Sunniland (fig. 2, 

 p. 8) it is a soft gray limestone with abundant echinoids and mol- 

 lusks. At Buckingham it is a phosphatic, argillaceous, fossiliferous 

 marl, and in the subsurface along the Caloosahatchee River it con- 

 sists of beds of clay and sand, most of which are almost devoid of 

 megafossils. It has been described in detail by DuBar (1958, 1962). 



Most workers consider the Tamiami formation as Late Miocene. 

 The echinoids are of little use in determining the age of the Tamiami 



