Publisher : Biodiversity Journal
Place of publication :
Publication year : 2017
Thematic : Species
Language : English
Note
The taxonomy of Amphiope L. Agassiz, 1840 (Echinoidea, Astriclypeidae), an echinoid distributed
in the Oligo-Miocene of Central and Southern Europe, is largely unresolved since
the description of most species attributed to this genus was based only on the external morphological
features, while important characters, such as the oral plating and the internal support
system, were poorly illustrated or completely omitted. Additionally, the type material of
some species was missing or badly preserved and geographical/stratigraphical information
about the type-locality was unclear. This was the case also for Amphiope bioculata (Des
Moulins, 1837), the type species of the genus. The poor definition of the earlier described
species of Amphiope prevented comparison with fossils from other localities and ages, subsequently
attributed to this genus. A large part of the earlier species of Amphiope, key-taxa
for the resolution of the complex taxonomy of this genus, are herein revised by modern methods.
For this purpose, the type material available in public institutions has been re-examined
and, when possible, new topo-typic material has been collected. As a result, the morphological
description of A. bioculata has been completed based on fossils from the Middle Miocene of
Hérault (France), which is here considered as the type area. The redefinition of the type species
allowed to extend comparison and taxonomic discussion to other species earlier attributed to
Amphiope. Seventeen species are herein confirmed as valid and maintained in the genus Amphiope.
Three additional species so far attributed to Amphiope have been transferred to the
genus Paraamphiope Stara et Sanciu, 2014: P. agassizi (Des Moulins in Cotteau, 1865), P.
cherichirensis (Thomas et Gauthier, 1889) and P. baquiei (Lambert, 1907). Amphiope boulei
Cottreau, 1914, has been assigned to the genus Sculpsitechinus Stara et Sanciu, 2014. Amphiope
romani n. sp. is described on the basis of a sample from the Serravallian-Tortonian of
Touraine (France); it is distinguished mainly by the periproct very close to the posterior margin
and the lack of sinus in correspondence of the frontal ambulacra.
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Keywords : marine-protected-areas
Encoded by : Pauline Carmel Joy Eje
