SOUTHEASTERN GEOLOGY

V. 47, No.4, November 2010, p. 207-217

A NEW SPECIES OF ABERTELLA (ECHINOIDEA, SCUTELLINA) FROM THE LATE

MIOCENE (TORTONIAN) PEACE RIVER FORMATION OF HARDEE COUNTY,
FLORIDA
1ADAM S. OSBORN AND CHARLES N. CIAMPAGLIO2
11500Lakeshore Drive, Camden, SC 29020, Macropneustes@Netzero.com
2 Earth and Environmental Sciences, Wright State University – Lake Campus, 7600 Lake Campus Drive,
Celina, OH 45822

ABSTRACT exception of rare specimens of the echinoids

Rhyncholampas aff. chipolanas (Oyen and Por-
A new species of clypeasterid echinoid, tell 1996), a large undescribed Brissopsis that
Abertella dengleri n. sp., from the late Mio- reaches a length in excess of 90 mm (currently
cene Peace River Formation, Hardee Coun- being studied by the authors), and spines of an
ty, Florida is described and discussed. undetermined cidarid, similar to Prionocidaris
Specimens of Abertella dengleri n. sp., have cookei (Cutress 1976). The restricted horizon in
been recorded in the literature as Abertella which Abertella dengleri n. sp., occurs contains
aberti (Conrad 1842); however, this paper a profusion of Abertella fragments, although
will demonstrate that these specimens repre- complete specimens are rare. Specimens that
sent a distinct species, with a latitudinally are collected are often corroded, abraded and
elongate test that is consistent and distinct chipped as they weather free from the very re-
and readily distinguishes it from the subcir- sistant, chert-rich matrix in the river bed, typi-
cular test of Abertella aberti (Conrad 1842) of cally rendering the surface details of the
the middle Miocene of the east coast of North specimens indiscriminant and obscure.
America. The elongate test of A. dengleri n. Specimens of Abertella from this region of
sp., also distinguishes it from all other de- Florida have been discussed in the literature as
scribed species of Abertella. This new large Abertella aberti (Conrad 1842) (Mckinney
species of sand dollar has remained virtually 1985, Oyen 2001); but, closer examination re-
anonymous in the bed of the Peace River, one veals that these specimens belong to a distinct
of America’s most popular fossil collecting species, with a latitudinally elongate test, (Table
locations, in a very urban area near Zolfo 1 and Figure 2) shallow or absent indentations
Springs, Hardee County Florida. Abertella opposite the anterior ambulacra, and a pro-
dengleri n. sp., now joins Abertella aberti nounced and narrow posterior notch that distin-
(Conrad 1842) as the second North Ameri- guishes it from the subcircular test of Abertella
can species of the genus Abertella, and with a aberti (Conrad 1842) (Table 2 and Figure 3) and
late Miocene age, it is the youngest of the two. all other described members of the genus (Fig-
ure 4).
INTRODUCTION
OVERVIEW OF THE GENUS
Abertella dengleri n. sp., occur in a dense ac-
cumulation of largely fragmented, agatized, The genus Abertella is restricted to the Mio-
specimens, in a horizon of sandy, siliclastic do- cene Epoch, and is found along the east coast of
lostone less than 20 cm in thickness, within the the Americas from Argentina to Maryland
late Miocene Peace River Formation. The local- (Martinez, et al., 2005). The genus ranges to the
ity occurs in the bed of the Peace River three ki- end of the Miocene, apparently being displaced
lometers upriver from Zolfo Springs, Hardee by northward migrating mellitid sand dollars
County Florida (Figure 1). The Abertella bed is (Smith 1984).
largely devoid of other invertebrates, with the With the addition of Abertella dengleri n. sp.,

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 ADAM S. OSBORN AND CHARLES N. CIAMPAGLIO

Figure 1: Outcrop zone of Pliocene-Oligocene strata in Florida. Hardee County collecting area is
noted.

the genus Abertella Durham now contains eight Miocene age Choptank Formation of Maryland
species (Figure 4): A. aberti (Conrad 1842), A. as the type species of the genus. A. aberti re-
cazonensis (Kew 1917), A. gualichensis (Marti- mained the only described Abertella from North
nez, et al., 2005), A. habensis (Sanchez Roig America until one hundred years later when
1949), A. kewi (Durham 1957), A. palmeri Cooke (1942) described Scutella floridana
(Durham 1957), A pirabensis (Marchesini San- from Miocene strata of the Chipola Formation
tos 1958) and the species described herein: A. near Sopchoppy, Wakulla County, Florida. Dur-
dengleri n. sp., (Durham 1953; 1955; 1957; ham (1953) suggested that Scutella floridana
Martinez and Mooi 1997; Martinez, et al., 2005; (Cooke 1942) should be placed in the new ge-
Mooi 1989). Abertella dengleri n. sp., is now nus Abertella; however, Cooke (1959), the orig-
the second species of Abertella described from inal author, later synonymized his own Scutella
North America. floridana with Abertella aberti (Conrad 1842),
Durham (1953) named the genus Abertella, leaving Abertella aberti (Conrad 1842) once
to differentiate it from Scutella. He choose again as the only described member of the ge-
Scutella aberti (Conrad 1842) from the middle nus from North America. Abertella aberti

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 A NEW SPECIES OF ABERTELLA

Table 1. Measurements of Abertella dengleri n, sp. Empty fields are indeterminable due to test
preservation or incompleteness, All measurements are in millimeters. *denotes specimens plot-
ted in figure 1. Non-type specimens reside in private collections. (am=ambulacrum)
W to L Periproct Peristome
Specimen Width Length Height Amb 1 Amb 2 Amb 3 Amb 4 Amb 5
ratio Width Width
NCSM11393 *144 104 1.38
*139 97 1.43
*125 96 10 1.30 4
*117 85 1.37 31 31 28 31 31
*118 85 1.38 25 25 22 25 25 4.5
*111 82 1.35
*71 56 1.26
*54 41 1.31
*47 31 1.51
*36 26 1.38
NCSM11396 82 27 27 27 27
81 25 25 22 25 25 3
26 26 26 26
NCSM11394 77 9 26 26 23 26 3.5
11 30 26 30
29 29 26.5 29 29

(Conrad 1842), which was initially described cies is synonymous with Karlaster pirabensis
from the Middle Miocene Choptank Formation (Marchesini Santos, 1958), a previously de-
of Maryland, is now known to have a much scribed species from the same beds, and that
broader geographical range, and also occurs in they should both belong to a single species that
the middle Miocene Pungo River Marl of North should take the name Abertella pirabensis
Carolina (Kier 1983) and the Middle Miocene (Marchesini Santos 1958) (Martinez, et. al.,
Chipola Formation and Hawthorn Group of 2005).
Florida (Clark 1904; Clark and Twitchell 1915; Abertella gualichensis (Martinez, et al.,
Cooke 1959; Williams, et al., 1977). 2005) from the early-mid Miocene of Argenti-
In describing the genus Abertella, Durham na, is the most recent species to be described in
(1953) moved Scutella cazonensis (Kew 1917), the genus, and is the southernmost member of
from the Miocene of Mexico, and Scutella ha- the genus.
banensis (Sanchez Roig 1949), from the Mio-
cene(?) of Cuba, to the new genus. He GEOLOGIC SETTING
postulated that further study would be required
to determine if Echinarachnius sebastiana Abertella dengleri n. sp., specimens de-
(Jackson 1922) from the Oligocene(?) of Puerto scribed herein were collected from the late Mio-
Rico should be placed within the genus. Four cene (Tortonian) age, lower unit of the Peace
years later, Durham (1957) described and River Formation, found within the bed of the
named Abertella palmeri, from the early Mio- Peace River, three kilometers upriver from
cene of Guatemala, and Abertella kewi, from Zolfo Springs, Hardee County, Florida (Figure
the middle Miocene of Chiapas, Mexico. 1) (Scott and Campbell 1993).
Brito (1981) described and named Abertella In the area of study, the Hawthorn Group
complanata from the Miocene of Brazil, though generally consists of a basal carbonate unit, the
Martinez and Mooi (1997) stated that this spe- Arcadia Formation, and an upper siliclastic

209
 ADAM S. OSBORN AND CHARLES N. CIAMPAGLIO

Table 2: Measurements of Abertella aberti (Conrad 1842) specimens plotted in figure two, from
the Middle Miocene Choptank Formation, Scientists Cliffs, MD. Empty fields are indeterminable
due to test preservation or incompleteness. All measurements are in millimeters. (amb=ambula-
crum)
W to L
Width Length Amb 1 Amb 2 Amb 3 Amb 4 Amb 5
ratio
17 17 1.00
19 18 1.05
34 32 1.06
37 37 1.00
46 43 1.06
52 51 1.01
53 54 .98
69 69 1.00
76 74 1.02
79 78 1.01
81 78 1.03 25 22 22 22 25
89 84 1.05
92 90 1.02
99 96 1.03
99 96 1.03 32 29 29 29 32
109 110 .99 35 32 32 32 35
110 110 1.0 36 33 33 33 36
116 110 1.05
119 114 1.04 39 36 36 36 39
121 121 1.0
132 128 1.03

unit, the Peace River Formation (Scott, 2001). 1988). The Peace River Formation is typically
The Hawthorn Group has been problematic overlain by the early Pliocene Tamiami Forma-
since it was named by Dall and Harris (1892). It tion (Missimer 2002). Missimer (2002) divided
is a complex unit of interbedded and intermixed the Peace River Formation into distinct lower
carbonate and siliclastic sediments containing and upper stratigraphic units. The lower unit is
varying concentrations of phosphate (Scott late Miocene (Tortonian), and consists of rela-
1990). Scott (1988) upgraded the Hawthorn to tively flat-bedded, predominantly siliclastic,
group status in Florida and defined its compo- nearshore ramp, beach and carbonaceous la-
nent formations (Figure 5). goonal deposits, and is capped by a distinct dis-
The Peace River Formation is exposed be- conform ity. The u pper un it is a mixed
neath a thin layer of overburden, on the south- siliclastic/carbonate unit containing deltaic
ern part of the Ocala Platform, extending into characteristics, such as graded beds and angular
the Okeechobee Basin in south Florida (Scott bedding, of early Pliocene (Zanclean) age (Mis-
2001). The unit reaches a maximum known simer, 2002).
thickness of 650ft (198m) in the Okeechobee The siliclastics of the Peace River Formation
basin (Scott, 1990), and is unconformably un- are typically dolomitic, phosphatic, clayey
derlain by the late Oligocene to middle Mio- quartz sands. Carbonate beds are common and
cene Arcadia Formation, which is largely a are generally sandy, phosphatic, clayey dolos-
subsurface unit throughout it’s extent (Scott tones (Scott, 1990), however, the siliclastic

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 A NEW SPECIES OF ABERTELLA

Figure 2. Chart displaying comparison of length to width ratios of Abertella aberti (Conrad 1842)
and Abertella dengleri n. sp. Sample made with 15 specimens of Abertella aberti (Conrad 1842)
from the Choptank Formation of Scientists Cliffs Maryland, and 10 specimens of Abertella den-
gleri n. sp., from the Peace River Formation, Hardee County, Florida. All measurements are in mil-
limeters.

Figure 3: Marginal outlines of

three specimens of Abertella den-
gleri n. sp., and a specimen of
Abertella aberti (stippled) for
comparison.

component predominates and is the distinguish- Ma for the upper unit.

ing lithologic feature of the unit. The siliclastics Lithologic units of the phosphate-rich Haw-
typically comprise two-thirds or more of the thorn Group are characterized as being deposit-
Peace River Formation (Scott, 1988). Stron- ed in inner shelf, nearshore environments.
tium-isotope data enabled Missimer (2002) to During the early Miocene, terrigenous siliclas-
provide an age range of 11 to 8.5 Ma for the tics derived from the southern Appalachians
lower Peace River Formation, and 5.23 to 4.29 filled the Gulf Trough, and encroached into the

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 ADAM S. OSBORN AND CHARLES N. CIAMPAGLIO

Figure 4: Type specimens of species of the genus Abertella (Abertella dengleri n. sp., is figured
in Figure 6, and Abertella aberti (Conrad 1842) is figured in Figure 7.)
A: Abertella cazonensis (Kew 1917), holotype, Cal Academy of Science #369, aboral view; Near
Cazones River, Papantla Region of Mexico. W111mm x L105mm (From Dickerson and Kew, 1917.)
B: Abertella kewi (Durham 1957), most complete paratype, University of California Museum of
Paleontology #36497, aboral view; Simojovel, Chiapas Mexico. W92mm x L88mm—estimated by
Durham. (From Durham, 1957.)
C: Abertella palmeri (Durham 1957), paratype, University of California Museum of Paleontology
#36504; aboral view; Rio Salinas, West Peten Province, Guatemala. W68.9mm x L60.5mm. (From
Durham, 1957.)
D: Abertella pirabensis (Marchesini Santos 1958), holotype, #4493 do Catalogo de Invertebrados
de colecao da Divisao de Geologia e Mineralogia do D.N.P.M, Rio de Janerio; aboral view; Ponta
de Pirabas, ilha Fortaleza, Esta do do Para Brazil. W66mm, length of incomplete holotype not pro-
vided by Marchesini Santos. (From Marchesini Santos, 1958)
E: Abertella habanensis (Sanchez Roig 1949), holotype, Call. Sanchez Roig; aboral view; Can-
teras de Arroyo Naranjo, Habana Cuba. W73mm x L69mm. (From Sanchez Roig, 1949.
F: Abertella gualichensis (Martinez, et al., 2005), Holotype, Museo Argentina de Ciencias Natu-
rales #4714; aboral view; Salina del Gualicho, Rio Negro Province, Argentina. W84.3mm x
L77.6mm. (From Martinez, Reichler and Mooi, 2005)

carbonate producing environments of peninsu- 1988).

lar Florida. These siliclastics represent the first The Abertella biozone occurs within the low-
recorded Cenozoic influx of terrigenous sedi- er Peace River Formation, in light gray, weath-
ments onto the carbonate bank of peninsular ered brown, siliclastic dolostone that is rich in
Florida (Scott, 1990). This change from carbon- opaline chert. The strata represents a terrige-
ate to siliclastic deposition was, in part, due to nous marine facies, where near shore habitats
the continued influx of large amounts of sili- were subject to significant inputs of coarse clas-
clastics from the southern Appalachians (Scott tic material from a prograding Miocene delta

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 A NEW SPECIES OF ABERTELLA

Figure 5: Generalized stratigraphic column for the Miocene of Peninsular Florida, (from Scott
2001).

(McKinney 1985). Though molluscs are not un- Diagnosis: Abertella in which the test is
common in the horizons above and below the large, thin, and significantly more laterally
Abertella biozone, they are rare within it. elongate than other members of the genus. The
nearly elliptical anterior margin typically lacks
SYSTEMATIC PALEONTOLOGY indentations opposite the anterior ambulacra,
when present they are faint and shallow. Ambu-
Figured specimens of Abertella dengleri n. lacrum III is typically 90% the length of the oth-
sp. are housed at the North Carolina Museum of er ambulacral, and the posterior notch is
Natural Sciences (NCSM) in Raleigh. pronounced and narrow.
Description: Test thin, large, marginal out-
Class ECHINOIDEA Leske, 1778 line laterally elongate: test much wider than
Order CLYPEASTEROIDA A. long (Table 1). Upper surface slightly domed in
the apical region, flat marginally. Margin thin
Aggassiz, 1872
with marginal indentations opposite ambulacra
Suborder SCUTELLINA Haeckel, I and V, with a very well developed, narrow,
1896 posterior notch; anterior margin gently round-
ed, often nearly elliptical, indentations opposite
Family ABERTELLIDAE Durham, anterior ambulacra faint and shallow, when
1955 present. Oral surface flat, surface covered with
Type genus Abertella Durham, 1953 abundant fine tubercles. Apical system fused,
central, slightly elevated, hydropores numerous
Type species Scutella aberti on star-shaped madreporic plate which extends
(Conrad, 1842) by original between the ambulacra; four genital pores at
designation terminus on suture between madreporic plate
and first plates of the interambulacra column.
Abertella dengleri, new species Ambulacra lanceolate, extending 60-70% of the
(Figure 6) radius, slightly open, truncated at tips, ambula-

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 ADAM S. OSBORN AND CHARLES N. CIAMPAGLIO

Figure 6: Type Specimens of Abertella dengleri n. sp. Type specimens are housed at the North
Carolina Museum of Natural Science.
A: Abertella dengleri n. sp., holotype, NCSM11393: aboral view, Peace River Formation, Hardee
County, Florida (W144mm x L104mm)
B: Abertella dengleri n. sp., paratype, NCSM11394: aboral view, Peace River Formation,
Hardee County, Florida (W82mm x 77mm)
C: Abertella dengleri n. sp., paratype, NCSM11395: aboral view, Peace River Formation, Hardee
County, Florida (W89mm x L75mm)
D: Abertella dengleri n. sp., paratype, NCSM11396: aboral view, Peace River Formation, Hardee
County, Florida (W103mm x L82mm)

crum III slightly shorter, typically 90% the to peristome with numerous secondary branch-
length of the paired ambulacra; pores small, cir- es near the margin. Peristome central, small,
cular, deeply conjugate, inner row nearly circular. Periproct smaller than peristome, cir-
straight, outer row slightly arched. Ambulacra cular, submarginal, close to base of posterior
narrow in petaloid region, expanding consider- notch. Interambulacra on oral face interrupted
ably beyond the petals where they are consider- by basicornal ambulacral plates.
ably wider than interambulacral areas. Discussion: Abertella dengleri n. sp., is
Interambulacra narrowing from outer ends of readily differentiated from its geographically
the petals to the margin. Oral surface flat, food nearest congener, Abertella aberti (Conrad
grooves strongly developed, bifurcating close 1842), and all other described species of Aber-

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 A NEW SPECIES OF ABERTELLA

Figure 7: Camera lucida comparison of A: Abertella dengleri n. sp., a composite made from three
specimens, Peace River Formation, Hardee County Florida and B: Abertella aberti (Conrad 1842)
from the Middle Miocene Choptank Formation, Scientists Cliffs, MD.

tella, by its greatly elongate test (Figure 7). The separate Abertella dengleri from all other de-
average width to length ratio of ten measured scribed species of Abertella, the marginal out-
specimens of Abertella dengleri n. sp., is 1.37 line and W/L ratio, which gives the test a very
(Table 1 and Figure 2), whereas the average elongate appearance, is the most obvious factor
width to length ratio of twenty-one measured that readily differentiates it from its congeners.
specimens of Abertella aberti (Table 2) is 1.03. The holotype of Abertella palmeri (Durham
Additional traits that distinguish Abertella den- 1957) has a width to length ratio of 1.13, and
gleri n. sp., from Abertella aberti (Conrad though this species does have wing-like lateral
1842) include the narrower posterior notch, and extensions which give it a greater width to
the tendency for ambulacrum III to be merely length ratio than other previously described
88-91% of the length of the paired ambulacra species of Abertella, the test retains a consider-
(Table 1). Conversely, ambulacrum III is typi- able length compared to it’s width in compari-
cally the same length as ambulacra II and IV in son with Abertella dengleri n. sp. The test of
Abertella aberti (Conrad 1842), with ambulacra Abertella palmeri (Durham 1957) also has a
I and V being 10% longer than the other ambu- roughly pentagonal outline, versus the nearly
lacra in Abertella aberti (Table 2). Furthermore, elliptical anterior margin of Abertella dengleri.
the margin of Abertella dengleri n. sp., does not Durham’s (1957) estimated measurements for
typically contain the broad shallow indentations the holotype of Abertella kewi (Durham 1957)
opposite each of the three anterior ambulacra give it a W/L ratio of 1.05. Furthermore, the test
that are consistently present in the test of Aber- of Abertella kewi (Durham 1957) has a subcir-
tella aberti (Conrad 1842). When present, the cular outline, with greater anterior marginal in-
indentations are faint and largely undiscernable. dentations than Abertella dengleri. The
The anterior margin of the test is often nearly el- holotype of Abertella habanensis (Sanchez
liptical in appearance. The corroded surface of Roig 1949) has a W/L ratio of 1.05 and is sub-
the tests available for study prohibit close study circular in outline, and Abertella cazonensis
of the oral surface, so finer differences and sim- (Kew 1917) has a W/L ratio of 1.05 and is also
ilarities between the oral surfaces of Abertella subcircular in outline which readily differenti-
dengleri n. sp., and Abertella aberti (Conrad ates it from Abertella dengleri n.sp. The holo-
1842) could not be determined. type of Echinarachnius (possibly Abertella)
Though other morphological factors serve to sebastiana (Jackson 1922) has a W/L ratio of

215
 ADAM S. OSBORN AND CHARLES N. CIAMPAGLIO

1.12. Abertella pirabensis (Marchesini Santos paper.

1958) is subcircular in outline and the holotype
of Abertella gualichensis (Martinez, et al., REFERENCES CITED
2005) has a W/L ratio of 1.08. Furthermore, Ab-
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a much less pronounced, shallower and wider Brito, I.M. 1981. Contribuição à Paleontologia do Estado
posterior anal notch, and a nearly circular mar- do Pará. A ocorrência de Abertella (Echinoidea, Cly-
ginal outline which clearly differentiates it from peasteroidea) na Formação Pirabas Boletim do Museu
Abertella dengleri n. sp. Paraense Emilio Goeldi, n.s., Geologia 23: p. 1-8
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Occurrence. Abertella dengleri n. sp., has logical Society Washington, Proceedings, Vol. 89, p.
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We thank Fred Dengler of Bartow, Florida Durham, J.W. 1955. Classification of clypeasteroid echi-
for his specimen contributions and guiding the noids. University of California Publications in Geolog-
ical Sciences, 31: p. 73-198.
first author on numerous trips up river collect- Durham, J.W. 1957. Notes on echinoids. Journal of Paleon-
ing this echinoid. Without his dedication and tology, 31: p. 625-631.
generosity, and “seeing beyond the vertebrate Haeckel, E.H.P.A 1896. Systematische Phylogenie. Entwurf
fossils”, this species would remain undescribed. eines Natuerlichen Systems der Organismen auf Grund
We also thank Mike Ellwood, of Scientists ihrer Stammesgeschichte. Zweiter Theil: System-
atische Phylogenie der Wirbellosen Thiere (Inverte-
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Abertella aberti (Conrad 1842), and guiding the Jackson, R.T. 1922. Fossil Echini of the West Indies. Publi-
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to collect specimens of Abertella aberti (Con- Kier, P.M. 1983. Upper Cenozoic echinoids from the Lee
Creek mine, in: Geology and paleontology of the Lee
rad 1842) for comparison purposes. We are also Creek mine, North Carolina, I. Smithsonian Contribu-
indebted to David Bohaska for providing spec- tions to Paleobiology, No. 53: p. 499-507.
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measurements, and Andrea Ciampaglio, whose naturalem dispositionem Echinodermatum et lucubrati-
illustrations were vital to the completion of this unculam de aculeis echinorum marinorum. Lipsiae,

216
 A NEW SPECIES OF ABERTELLA

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Boletim, 179: p. 1-24.
Martinez, S. and R. Mooi. 1997. “Karlaster” pirabensis
from the Brazilian Miocene is a species of Abertella
(Scutellina, Echinoidea), not a monophorasterid. 15
Congresso Brasileiro de Paleontologia, Sao Paulo, 61p.
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Early Middle Miocene), Rio Negro Province, Argen-
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