A large, edrioasteroid-bearing hardground surface from the base of the Bellevue Member of the Grant Lake Formation near Maysville, Mason County, Kentucky is described. Four species are represented including Streptaster vorticellatus (Hall), Carneyella ulrichi Bassler and Shideler, Carneyella pilea (Hall), and Curvitriordo stecki n. sp. Specimens of S. vorticellatus and C. pilea add little to the known morphologies of these species. However, prior to this study C. ulrichi was known from the unique holotype, and Curvitriordo stecki n. sp. adds greatly to out understanding of Curvitriordo which was previously known from two species comprising three poorly preserved specimens. Curvitriordo stecki shows a bimodal size frequency distribution suggesting seasonal breeding whereas Carneyella ulrichi shows a left skewed size frequency suggesting low juvenile mortality. Streptaster vorticellatus shows a tight unimodal size frequency distribution suggestive of a single spat fall accumulation.
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1 September 2010
The Systematics of a New Upper Ordovician Edrioasteroid Pavement from Northern Kentucky
Colin D. Sumrall
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Journal of Paleontology
Vol. 84 • No. 5
September 2010
Vol. 84 • No. 5
September 2010
Echinodermata
Edrioasteroidea
hardground
Ordovician
Paleoecology