Goniodonts - strange echinozoan teeth from the Carboniferous

[TqB]

I was surprised to see this specimen for auction and pleased to win it. It's Anguloserra thomasi, a rare tooth from an ophiocistioid echinoderm and comes from the same locality as the holotype described here (abstract only): Haude & Langenstrassen 1976.

 

I've been interested in these since finding three similar specimens in the UK that took a while to identify - shown in the next post.

 

It's preserved as an impression - most material in this matrix is decalcified. Carboniferous, upper Mississippian, Culm beds (equivalent of Brigantian and Arnsbergian beds in UK), Aprath, Germany.

Scale in mm.

 

Here's the holotype from the linked paper (a latex cast):

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[TqB]

And here are the three I found in the UK, Brigantian of Co. Durham.

 

The best one, showing two teeth, in a limestone hash plate (I showed this on its own a while back): (photographed just submerged in water which brings out the detail)

(Scale - small divisions are mm)

\

 

And two in a shale:

 

[Ludwigia]

Very interesting. Never heard of these before. Have you ever found the echinoids themselves?

[Fossildude19]

Great addition, Tarquin!  

My one thing new that I learned today.   

[TqB]

Good overview of the amazing ophiocistioids here:http://echinoblog.blogspot.com/2012/08/ophiocistioids-weird-mystery-fossils.html

 

And here's a reconstruction of the animal (from the cited paper in my first post, also in the overview), with a blow up of the ranks of teeth from its Aristotle's lantern equivalent:

 

 

[TqB]

@Ludwigia @Fossildude19 Roger & Tim, thanks for your interest!

I'm hoping people might come up with some more of these - they may be more common than the literature suggests.

[Pagurus]

Curiouser and curiouser. Thanks for posting this. Fascinating.

[TqB]

2 hours ago, Ludwigia said:

Very interesting. Never heard of these before. Have you ever found the echinoids themselves?

No, they're hyper rare - I've not come across any Carboniferous remains in the literature apart from the goniodonts. Ophiocistioidea seems to be a separate extinct class, same rank as echinoidea but both subphylum echinozoa.

[Bobby Rico]

You do have an eye for the interesting and unusual Tarquin. Nice purchase indeed;

[doushantuo]

carboniferous

or

CAR_182_102_0489-0495.pdf

accompanied by bivalves,fossil wood,trilobites,bryozoa ,brachiopods

Ein Winkelzahn (Ophiocistioide)aus dem Unterkarbon von Nötsch/Kärnten
Von Gunnar SCHRAUT
Carinthia,182,JG 102

[TqB]

6 minutes ago, doushantuo said:

carboniferous

Thanks, good paper - still just goniodonts though, no test.

[Tidgy's Dad]

Fascinating and beautiful. 

Something aware of but have never found or seen in person. 

Thanks for sharing. 

[doushantuo]

4a/b:Volchovia

image from G.Regnell:

Echinoderms(Hydrophoridea/Ophiocistia)from the Ordovician of the Oslo Region(Upper Skiddavian 3 c beta)

 

 

Norsk Geol.Tidskr,27(1946)

 

that's originally:

 

[Innocentx]

Another fantastic creature to understand. Thanks so much for showing this!

 

I'm curious, what are the circular things here? (I put red dots next to some of them)

 

 

 

[ricardo]

56 minutes ago, TqB said:

Thanks, good paper - still just goniodonts though, no test.

 

And this one

 

A few pictures here

[TqB]

29 minutes ago, Innocentx said:

Another fantastic creature to understand. Thanks so much for showing this!

 

I'm curious, what are the circular things here? (I put red dots next to some of them)

Thank you! They're air bubbles - I photographed it just submerged in water which greatly brings out the detail.

 

20 minutes ago, ricardo said:

 

And this one

 

A few pictures here

Thank you - nice echinoid references but no ophiocistioids, which is what I meant when saying no tests known to me from the Carboniferous.

[TqB]

1 hour ago, Bobby Rico said:

You do have an eye for the interesting and unusual Tarquin. Nice purchase indeed;

Thanks, Bobby - saw my first one on bit of shale and couldn't work out what it was for a couple of years.

 

1 hour ago, Tidgy's Dad said:

Fascinating and beautiful. 

Something aware of but have never found or seen in person. 

Thanks for sharing. 

Thanks, Adam - an accidental find in the first place but it's an eroding locality that I check often so always a chance for more.

 

1 hour ago, Pagurus said:

Curiouser and curiouser. Thanks for posting this. Fascinating.

Thank you. I do like bizarre echinoderms. (Who doesn't!)

[sixgill pete]

This is fascinating. As Tim,  @Fossildude19 said, the one new thing I learned today.

[ricardo]

3 hours ago, TqB said:

Thank you! They're air bubbles - I photographed it just submerged in water which greatly brings out the detail.

 

Thank you - nice echinoid references but no ophiocistioids, which is what I meant when saying no tests known to me from the Carboniferous.

Of course! I was sleeping. 

 

One more great post. Thanks for it.

[Innocentx]

On 12/28/2018 at 2:15 PM, TqB said:

I photographed it just submerged in water which greatly brings out the detail.

I've got to try this!!!

[Max-fossils]

Very interesting Tarquin! Never would've known such a thing even existed if it weren't for this post. 

I personally like your first find (with the double teeth) better than your purchase.  

[TqB]

12 hours ago, Max-fossils said:

Very interesting Tarquin! Never would've known such a thing even existed if it weren't for this post. 

I personally like your first find (with the double teeth) better than your purchase.  

Thanks, Max! I'm with you there, that is the best preserved specimen. It's on a plate with scattered Archaeocidaris and Lepidesthes remains but I haven't been able to identify any other possible ophiocistioid parts which is a bit odd - maybe looking for the wrong things...