# 2018 in echinoderm paleontology

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Paleontology or palaeontology is the study of prehistoric life forms on Earth through the examination of plant and animal fossils. This includes the study of body fossils, tracks (ichnites), burrows, cast-off parts, fossilised feces (coprolites), palynomorphs and chemical residues. Because humans have encountered fossils for millennia, paleontology has a long history both before and after becoming formalized as a science. This article records significant discoveries and events related to paleontology that occurred or were published in the year 2018.

## Echinoderms
### Research

* A study on the morphology of specimens of the blastoid species Deltoblastus batheri and Deltoblastus delta from the Permian of Timor, evaluating whether the differences indicative of niche differentiation could be detected, is published by Morgan (2018).
* A study on the morphological development of the primary large thecal plate in the widest part of the theca of Guizhoueocrinus yui is published online by Wang et al. (2018).
* Fatka, Nohejlová & Lefebvre (2018) interpret enigmatic Drumian echinoderm Lapillocystites fragilis as likely junior synonym of the edrioasteroid species Stromatocystites pentangularis.
* A study on the frequency of breakage and regeneration in the spines of the Middle Devonian camerate Gennaeocrinus and late Paleozoic cladids, as well as a survey of the prevalence of spinosity and infestation by platyceratid gastropods on crinoids during the Paleozoic, is published by Syverson et al. (2018).
* Brachial spines of pirasocrinid cladid crinoids displaying evidence for multiple episodes of breakage and regeneration are described from the Upper Pennsylvanian Ames Member of the Glenshaw Formation (Ohio, United States) by Thomka & Eddy (2018).
* A study on the morphology of arms of fossil and modern crinoids spanning from the Ordovician to the recent, evaluating whether known crinoid clades had more capacity to evolve morphological variation around the time of their origin than later in their evolutionary history, is published by Pimiento et al. (2018).
* A study on the changes of the body sizes of crinoids after the Late Devonian extinction is published by Brom, Salamon & Gorzelak (2018).
* A study on the phylogenetic relationships of disparid crinoids is published by Ausich (2018).
* A study on the microstructure of the stalk of the Triassic crinoid Holocrinus is published by Gorzelak (2018), who interprets his findings as indicating that Holocrinus was likely capable of stalk autotomy.
* A study on the occurrences of post-Paleozoic (Ladinian to Ypresian) crinoids from northeast Spain, on the main stratigraphic and sedimentological features of the sedimentary units that have yielded complete identifiable crinoids, and on their implications for reconstructing the environmental distribution of these crinoids, is published by Zamora et al. (2018).
* 37 new Antarctic and Australian occurrences of Cenozoic isocrinid crinoids, representing nine different species in three genera, are reported by Whittle et al. (2018), who interpret their findings as indicating that isocrinid migration from shallow to deep water during the Mesozoic marine revolution did not occur at the same time all over the world.
* A study on the evolution of Paleozoic starfish is published by Blake (2018), who names new extinct orders Euaxosida, Hadrosida, and Kermasida, as well as new families Lacertasteridae, Permasteridae, and Illusioluididae.
* A study on the evolution of the species richness and morphological diversity of sea urchins in the Jurassic (Toarcian to Tithonian stages) is published by Boivin et al. (2018).

### New taxa

| Name | Novelty | Status | Authors | Age | Unit | Location | Notes |
| Amphilimna intersepultosetme | Sp. nov | Valid | Thuy, Numberger-Thuy & Jagt | Late Cretaceous (Maastrichtian) | Peedee Formation | United States ( South Carolina) | A brittle star belonging to the order Amphilepidida, the superfamily Ophionereidoidea and the family Amphilimnidae. |
| Amphiope caronei | Sp. nov | Valid | Stara & Marini | Miocene (late Tortonian) | | Italy | A sand dollar belonging to the family Astriclypeidae. |
| Amphioplus clementsi | Sp. nov | Valid | Thuy, Numberger-Thuy & Jagt | Late Cretaceous (Maastrichtian) | Peedee Formation | United States ( South Carolina) | A brittle star belonging to the family Amphiuridae. |
| Amphiura shannoni | Sp. nov | Valid | Thuy, Numberger-Thuy & Jagt | Late Cretaceous (Maastrichtian) | Peedee Formation | United States ( South Carolina) | A brittle star belonging to the family Amphiuridae, a species of Amphiura. |
| Anomalocrinus astrictus | Sp. nov | Valid | Ausich et al. | Ordovician (Katian) | Brechin Lagerstätte | Canada ( Ontario) | A disparid crinoid belonging to the family Anomalocrinidae. |
| Antiquaster apertisulcus | Sp. nov | Valid | Gladwell | Silurian (Ludlow) | Leintwardine Beds | United Kingdom | A stenurid brittle star. |
| Arabicodiadema romani | Sp. nov | Valid | Smith & Jagt in Jagt et al. | Cretaceous | Dhalqut Formation | Oman | A sea urchin. |
| Archaeocrinus maraensis | Sp. nov | Valid | Cole et al. | Ordovician (Katian) | | Canada ( Ontario) | A camerate crinoid. |
| Archaeocrinus sundayae | Sp. nov | Valid | Cole et al. | Ordovician (Katian) | | Canada ( Ontario) | A camerate crinoid. |
| Artichthyocrinus limani | Sp. nov | Valid | Mao et al. | Permian (Asselian) | Taiyuan Formation | China | A crinoid. |
| Assericrinus | Gen. et sp. nov | Valid | Gale | Late Cretaceous (early Campanian) | | United Kingdom | A crinoid. The type species is A. portusadernensis. |
| Bdellacoma fortispina | Sp. nov | Valid | Gladwell | Silurian (Ludlow) | Leintwardine Beds | United Kingdom | A stenurid brittle star. |
| Becuaster | Gen. et sp. nov | Valid | Gale | Late Jurassic (Oxfordian) | | France | A starfish belonging to the family Korethrasteridae. The type species is B. fusiliformis |
| Betelgeusia brezinai | Sp. nov | Valid | Blake, Halligan & Larson | Late Cretaceous | | United States ( South Dakota) | |
| Birgenelocrinus jagti | Sp. nov | Valid | Gale in Gale, Sadorf & Jagt | Late Cretaceous (Maastrichtian) | Peedee Formation | United States ( North Carolina) | A crinoid belonging to the group Roveacrinida. |
| Brezinacantha | Gen. et sp. nov | Valid | Thuy et al. | Late Cretaceous (Campanian) | Pierre Shale | United States ( South Dakota) | A brittle star belonging to the family Ophiacanthidae. The type species is B. tolis. |
| Camachoaster | Gen. et sp. nov | Valid | Mooi et al. | Early Miocene | Chenque Formation | Argentina | A sand dollar belonging to the group Scutelliformes. The type species is C. maquedensis |
| Cicerocrinus gracilis | Sp. nov | Valid | Donovan in Bogolepova et al. | Silurian (Wenlock) | Uzyan Formation | Russia ( Bashkortostan) | A crinoid belonging to the subclass Disparida, to the order Pisocrinida and to the family Pisocrinidae. |
| Cleiocrinus lepidotus | Sp. nov | Valid | Cole et al. | Ordovician (Katian) | | Canada ( Ontario) | A camerate crinoid. |
| Clypeaster sarawakensis | Sp. nov | Valid | Mihaljević & Rosenblatt | Miocene | | Malaysia | A species of Clypeaster. |
| Conulus sanzgarciai | Sp. nov | Valid | Forner Valls & Moreno Bedmar | Early Cretaceous (Aptian) | Forcall Formation | Spain | A sea urchin. |
| Costatocrinus laevis | Sp. nov | Valid | Gale | Late Cretaceous (early Campanian) | | United Kingdom | A crinoid. |
| Delicaster hotchkissi | Sp. nov | Valid | Blake & Koniecki | Carboniferous (Pennsylvanian) | Canyon Series, Graford Group | United States ( Texas) | A starfish belonging to the order Kermasida and to the family Permasteridae. |
| Diplocidaris bernasconii | Sp. nov | Valid | Bischof, Hostettler & Menkveld-Gfeller | Late Jurassic (Oxfordian) | St-Ursanne Formation | Switzerland  France? | A sea urchin belonging to the group Cidaroida and the family Diplocidaridae. Originally described as a species of Diplocidaris, but subsequently made the type species of the separate genus Pseudodiplocidaris. |
| Elgaecrinus | Gen. et sp. nov | Valid | Rozhnov | Devonian (Lochkovian) | Katnikov Beds | Russia ( Sverdlovsk Oblast) | A cladid crinoid related to Crotalocrinites. The type species is E. uralicus |
| Eocenocrinus | Gen. et 2 sp. et comb. nov | Valid | Merle & Roux | Eocene | | France  Italy | A stalked crinoid, possibly the oldest known member of the family Phrynocrinidae. The type species is E. hessi; genus also includes new species E. bayani, as well as "Bourgueticrinus" didymus Schauroth (1855). |
| Euptychocrinus? atelis | Sp. nov | In press | Botting | Late Ordovician | | Morocco | A camerate crinoid. Announced in 2018; the final version of the article naming it is not published yet. |
| Goniopygus dhalqutensis | Sp. nov | Valid | Smith & Jagt in Jagt et al. | Cretaceous | Dhalqut Formation | Oman | A sea urchin. |
| Hansaster | Gen. et comb. nov | Valid | Gale | Late Jurassic (Oxfordian) | | France  Germany  Switzerland | A starfish belonging to the family Pterasteridae. Genus includes "Savignaster" trimbachensis Gale (2011). |
| Hessicrinus apertus | Sp. nov | Valid | Gale | Late Cretaceous (early Campanian) | | United Kingdom | A crinoid. |
| Hessicrinus cooperi | Sp. nov | Valid | Gale | Late Cretaceous (early Campanian) | | United Kingdom | A crinoid. |
| Heteraster guali | Sp. nov | Valid | Forner Valls | Early Cretaceous (Aptian) | Maestrat Basin | Spain | A heart urchin. |
| Hypselaster strougoi | Sp. nov | Valid | Elattaar | Eocene (Lutetian) | Midawara Formation | Egypt | A heart urchin. |
| Iocrinus ouzammoui | Sp. nov | In press | Botting | Late Ordovician | | Morocco | A crinoid belonging to the group Disparida. Announced in 2018; the final version of the article naming it is not published yet. |
| Isthloucrinus | Gen. et sp. nov | In press | Botting | Late Ordovician | | Morocco | A crinoid belonging to the group Cladida. Genus includes new species I. praecursor. Announced in 2018; the final version of the article naming it is not published yet. |
| Kroppocrinus garamdouaraensis | Sp. nov | Valid | Waters & Klug | Devonian (Emsian) | | Morocco | A crinoid. |
| Lazarechinus | Gen. et sp. nov | Valid | Hagdorn | Middle Triassic (late Anisian) | Calcaire à entroques | France | A stem-sea urchin belonging to the family Proterocidaridae. Genus includes new species L. mirabeti. |
| Lillithaster | Gen. et sp. nov | Valid | Thuy, Numberger-Thuy & Jagt | Late Cretaceous (Maastrichtian) | Peedee Formation | United States ( South Carolina) | A basket star belonging to the family Asteronychidae. The type species is L. lamentatiofelium. |
| Linguaserra triassica | Sp. nov | Valid | Reich et al. | Late Triassic (Carnian) | Cassian Formation | Italy | A member of Ophiocistioidea belonging to the family Linguaserridae. |
| Longwyaster | Gen. et sp. nov | Valid | Gale | Middle Jurassic (Bajocian) | | France | A starfish belonging to the family Pterasteridae. Genus includes new species L. delsatei |
| Loriolaster fragilicalceus | Sp. nov | Valid | Gladwell | Silurian (Ludlow) | Leintwardine Beds | United Kingdom | An oegophiurid brittle star. |
| Lucernacrinus multispinosus | Sp. nov | Valid | Gale in Gale, Sadorf & Jagt | Late Cretaceous (Maastrichtian) | Peedee Formation | United States ( North Carolina) | A crinoid belonging to the group Roveacrinida. |
| Luxaster | Gen. et sp. nov | Valid | Müller et al. | Early Devonian | | Germany  Luxembourg | A brittle star belonging to the family Protasteridae. Genus includes new species L. martini, as well as L. schweitzeri. |
| Magnuscrinus cumberlandensis | Sp. nov | Valid | Ausich, Rhenberg & Meyer | Carboniferous (Viséan) | Fort Payne Formation | United States ( Kentucky) | A crinoid belonging to the family Batocrinidae. |
| Melusinaster | Gen. et 2 sp. nov | Valid | Thuy & Stöhr | Early and Middle Jurassic (Toarcian to Bajocian) | | Germany  Luxembourg | A basket star. The type species is M. alissawhitegluzae; genus also includes M. arcusinimicus. |
| Micraster woodi | Sp. nov | Valid | Schlüter & Wiese | Late Cretaceous (Turonian) | | Germany | A sea urchin. |
| Monobrachiocrinus waipapaensis | Sp. nov | Valid | Eagle, Hoskin & Hayward | Permian | | New Zealand | A cladid crinoid. |
| Muicrinus | Gen. et sp. nov | Valid | Lin et al. | Ordovician (latest Floian-earliest Dapingian) | Dawan Formation | China | A crinoid related to Iocrinus. The type species is M. dawanensis. |
| Neoprotencrinus anyangensis | Sp. nov | Valid | Mao et al. | Permian (Asselian) | Taiyuan Formation | China | A crinoid. |
| Ophioculina | Gen. et sp. nov | Valid | Rousseau & Thuy in Rousseau, Gale & Thuy | Late Jurassic (Tithonian) | Agardhfjellet Formation | Norway | A brittle star belonging to the group Ophiurina and the family Ophiopyrgidae. The type species is O. hoybergia. |
| Ophiotreta sadorfi | Sp. nov | Valid | Thuy, Numberger-Thuy & Jagt | Late Cretaceous (Maastrichtian) | Peedee Formation | United States ( South Carolina) | A brittle star belonging to the order Ophiacanthida and the family Ophiotomidae. |
| Pachycephalocrinus | Gen. et sp. nov | Valid | Cole & Toom | Ordovician (Katian) | | Estonia | A camerate crinoid belonging to the group Monobathrida. Genus includes new species P. jaanussoni. |
| Pahvanticystis | Gen. et sp. nov | Valid | Lefebvre & Lerosey-Aubril | Cambrian (Guzhangian) | Weeks Formation | United States ( Utah) | A solutan echinoderm. Genus includes new species P. utahensis. |
| Panidiscus | Gen. et sp. nov | In press | Sumrall & Zamora | Ordovician (Katian) | | Morocco | An isorophinid edrioasteroid. Genus includes new species P. tamiformis. Announced in 2018; the final version of the article naming it is not published yet. |
| Peedeecrinus | Gen. et sp. nov | Valid | Gale in Gale, Sadorf & Jagt | Late Cretaceous (Maastrichtian) | Peedee Formation | United States ( North Carolina) | A crinoid belonging to the group Roveacrinida. Genus includes new species P. sadorfi. |
| Petalobrissus lehugueurae | Sp. nov | Valid | Alves et al. | Late Cretaceous | Jandaíra Formation | Brazil | A sea urchin belonging to the family Faujasiidae. |
| Phyllobrissus garciavivesi | Sp. nov | Valid | Forner Valls | Early Cretaceous (Aptian) | Margues del Forcall Formation | Spain | A sea urchin. |
| Placatenella | Gen. et comb. nov | Valid | Mooi et al. | Early Miocene | Pirabas Formation | Brazil | A sand dollar belonging to the group Scutelliformes. The type species is "Abertella" complanata Brito (1981). |
| Pliotoxaster andinum | Sp. nov | Valid | Fouquet, Roney & Wilke | Early Cretaceous | Way Group | Chile | A sea urchin. |
| Polarasterias | Gen. et sp. nov | Valid | Rousseau & Gale in Rousseau, Gale & Thuy | Late Jurassic (Tithonian) | Agardhfjellet Formation | Norway | A starfish belonging to the family Asteriidae. The type species is P. janusensis. |
| Priscillacrinus | Gen. et sp. nov | Valid | Cole et al. | Ordovician (Katian) | | Canada ( Ontario) | A camerate crinoid belonging to Order Diplobathrida. Genus includes new species P. elegans. |
| Prokopius | Gen. et comb. nov | Valid | Paul | Ordovician (Sandbian) | | Czech Republic | A member of Diploporita belonging to the family Aristocystitidae; a new genus for "Aristocystites" sculptus Barrande (1887). |
| Propteraster | Gen. et sp. nov | Valid | Gale | Late Jurassic (Oxfordian) | | France | A starfish belonging to the family Pterasteridae. Genus includes new species P. amourensis |
| Rautangaroa | Gen. et comb. nov | Valid | Baumiller & Fordyce | Oligocene | | New Zealand | A feather star. Genus includes "Cypelometra" aotearoa Eagle (2007). |
| Sacariacrinus amadei | Sp. nov | Valid | Hess & Thuy | Jurassic | | France | A cyrtocrinid crinoid. |
| Sagittacrinus alifer | Sp. nov | Valid | Gale | Late Cretaceous (early Campanian) | | United Kingdom | A crinoid. |
| Sagittacrinus longirostris | Sp. nov | Valid | Gale | Late Cretaceous (early Campanian) | | United Kingdom | A crinoid. |
| Sakucrinus | Gen. et sp. nov | Valid | Cole & Toom | Ordovician (Katian) | | Estonia | A camerate crinoid belonging to the group Diplobathrida and the family Opsiocrinidae. Genus includes new species S. krossi. |
| Sardospatangus | Gen. et 2 sp. et comb. nov | Valid | Stara, Charbonnier & Borghi | Miocene | | Italy | A heart urchin. The type species is S. caschilii; genus also includes S. arburensis, as well as "Prospatangus" thieryi Lambert (1909). |
| Savignaster septemtrionalis | Sp. nov | Valid | Rousseau & Gale in Rousseau, Gale & Thuy | Late Jurassic (Tithonian) | Agardhfjellet Formation | Norway | A starfish belonging to the family Pterasteridae. |
| Sertulaster | Gen. et sp. nov | Valid | Blake & Koniecki | Ordovician (Katian) | Bobcaygeon Formation Verulam Formation | Canada ( Ontario) | A starfish belonging to the order Hadrosida and to the family Palaeasteridae. The type species is S. keslingi. |
| Spinadiscus | Gen. et sp. nov | In press | Sumrall & Zamora | Ordovician (Katian) | | Morocco | A pyrgocystid edrioasteroid. Genus includes new species S. lefebvrei. Announced in 2018; the final version of the article naming it is not published yet. |
| Stegophiura miyazakii | Sp. nov | Valid | Ishida et al. | Late Cretaceous (Cenomanian) | Mifune Group | Japan | A brittle star. |
| Superlininicrinus | Gen. et sp. nov | In press | Botting | Late Ordovician | | Morocco | A crinoid belonging to the group Cladida. Genus includes new species S. advorsa. Announced in 2018; the final version of the article naming it is not published yet. |
| Synbathocrinus chenae | Sp. nov | Valid | Mao et al. | Permian (Asselian) | Taiyuan Formation | China | A crinoid. |
| Tetracrinus solidus | Sp. nov | Valid | Hess & Thuy | Jurassic | | France | A cyrtocrinid crinoid. |
| Thuyaster | Gen. et sp. nov | Valid | Gale | Early Jurassic (Hettangian) | | Belgium | A starfish belonging to the family Korethrasteridae. Genus includes new species T. fontenoillensis |
| Trombonicrinus | Gen. et sp. nov | Valid | Donovan, Waters & Pankowski | Devonian | | Morocco | A crinoid. Genus includes new species T. (col.) hanshessi |
| Ulocrinus qiaoi | Sp. nov | Valid | Mao et al. | Permian (Asselian) | Taiyuan Formation | China | A crinoid. |
| Weitschataster | Gen. et sp. nov | Valid | Neumann & Girod | Late Cretaceous (late Campanian) | | Germany | A starfish belonging to the family Goniasteridae. Genus includes new species W. intermedius. |
| Westerwalddiscus | Gen. et sp. nov | Valid | Müller & Hahn | Early Devonian | | Germany | A member of Edrioasteroidea belonging to the family Agelacrinitidae. Genus includes new species W. poschmanni. |
| Yunnanechinus | Gen. et sp. nov | Valid | Thompson et al. | Middle Triassic (Anisian) | Guanling Formation | China | A stem-sea urchin. The type species is Y. luopingensis. |