Helicoplacus gilberti

by Frank Corsetti
ded .?I m m

etracted ? r m- m_,
Helicoplacus is an echinoderm
(related to starfish and urchins)

Durham and Caster, 1963

 Helicoplacus gilberti
by Frank Corsetti
ded .?I m m

etracted ? r m- m_,
I collected a sample when I was
a junior in college at UC Davis

Durham and Caster, 1963

 IntrabubalColumn
s Ira nju b cr W b ut~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Amuacra

Mouth (?)

Shap Sedient-Wate

B Sediment

FIGURE 2-Helicoplacoid preservation and life position. (A) Photo-

graph of a typical well-preserved helicoplacoid specimen, preserved
as an external mold. Portion of U.S. one cent coin (1.9 cm in diameter)
Dornbos and Bottjer, 2001
 Modern Sea Urchin for comparison

IntrabubalColumn
s Ira nju b cr W b ut~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Amuacra

Mouth (?)

Shap Sedient-Wate

B Sediment

FIGURE 2-Helicoplacoid preservation and life position. (A) Photo-

graph of a typical well-preserved helicoplacoid specimen, preserved
as an external mold. Portion of U.S. one cent coin (1.9 cm in diameter)
Dornbos and Bottjer, 2001
ives of both fied
con?by torsion to spiral. know toda
n the Lower Cam?
The new genus Helicoplacus consists hope to un
erentiated, of helicoplacoid echinoderms, in which phylum" (7
diverged a the primary ambulacrum has a single Inasmuc
he beginning branch. From Greek helix, a spiral, and the co
-living char- and plakos, a flat plate. Type species: tites (on w
HELICOPLACOID TAPHONOMY 201

Durham and Caster, 1963

gests that the
TABLE 1-The percentages of helicoplacoid specimens at USC and
working)
Helicoplacus gilberti, n. sp. (5). "Inter?
the LACMNH in each taphonomic group. See text for explanation of

ot have been
taphonomic groups.

ambulacra" with about four turns; plates derms yet

4r~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~.

Taphonomic Group USC % LACMNH %

ic) echino? 1
2
19
69
8
62 of medial column slightly longer than
Fw~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~'r. living, and
3 12 30

rto known, those of lateral columns; rounded externalwidely sepa

seem
disturbance byto edges of medial plates with fine longitudi?is apparent
bean ideal setting for the for-
shelf environment that periodically received some slight
tempestites,

nal ribs, and intermittently developed non-

mation and preservation of obrution deposits (Brett et al.,

placoids and may

1997b).
east upon t
articulated spines adorally (on every
Examination of X-radiographs from rocks in which
these helicoplacoid specimens are preserved indicates that

ed to them. fourth to ninth plate); spines not present(8) that the

there are some sedimentological differences between li-
thologies that preserve Groups 1 and 3. Group 1 speci-

coidea may
mens generally are associated with thin (<2 cm), some-

medially or adapically on test; adult spec?attached. N

times graded beds, but none of the 20 Group 1 specimens
are associated with thick graded beds rich in bioclastic

imens about 35 mm long. of all su

material. On the other hand, 46% (6 of 13) of Group 3 spec-
imens are associated with thick (>2 cm) graded beds rich

Helicoplacus curtisi, n. sp. (6). Similar hitherto

in bioclastic material. Group 2 specimens are associated
with both of these end-members. It also is interesting to

coid echino?
note that Group 1 and 3 specimens were never preserved
to H. gilberti but plates of medial "inter?
together, but they were both preserved with Group 2 spec-
imens.

, expansible ambulacral" columns without longitudinal

X-radiographic evidence indicates that Group 3 speci-
mens generally were preserved in higher energy regimes

at opposite ribs and with outer edge sharply angled; University

than Group 1 specimens, whereas Group 2 specimens
were preserved in a broad range of energy regimes. An ex-

tes arranged large, elongated, nonarticulated spines

planation for these observed differences may be that high-
er energy conditions aided in the almost complete disartic-

"inter ambu?
ulation of many Group 3 specimens by further disarticu-
locally present medially on test; Dornbos
spinesandUniversit
FIGURE 5Photograph of a portion of a bedding plane containing 17
lating them during transport (Kidwell and Baumiller, more igilspecimens,
helicoplacoid tha th4eto accompanied .h nivda.Ti eut loose plates.
by numerous
1990). Many of the Group 3 specimens, for instance, prob- Bottjer, 2001
Portion of a U.S. one cent coin for scale.
ives of both fied
con?by torsion to spiral. know toda
n the Lower Cam?
The new genus Helicoplacus consists hope to un
erentiated, of helicoplacoid echinoderms, in which phylum" (7
diverged a the primary ambulacrum has a single Inasmuc
he beginning branch. From Greek helix, a spiral, and the co
-living char- and plakos, a flat plate. Type species: tites (on w
HELICOPLACOID TAPHONOMY 201

Durham and Caster, 1963

gests that the
TABLE 1-The percentages of helicoplacoid specimens at USC and
working)
Helicoplacus gilberti, n. sp. (5). "Inter?
the LACMNH in each taphonomic group. See text for explanation of

ot have been
taphonomic groups.

derms yet
4r~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~.

Taphonomic Group USC % LACMNH %

ambulacra" with about four turns; plates Named in honor of
ic) echino? 1
2
19
69
8
62 of medial column slightly longer than C.M. living,
Fw~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~'r. Gilbert and
3 12 30

rto known, those of lateral columns; rounded externalwidely sepa

seem
disturbance byto edges of medial plates with fine longitudi?is apparent
bean ideal setting for the for-
shelf environment that periodically received some slight
tempestites,

nal ribs, and intermittently developed non-

mation and preservation of obrution deposits (Brett et al.,

placoids and may

1997b).
east upon t
articulated spines adorally (on every
Examination of X-radiographs from rocks in which
these helicoplacoid specimens are preserved indicates that

ed to them. fourth to ninth plate); spines not present(8) that the

there are some sedimentological differences between li-
thologies that preserve Groups 1 and 3. Group 1 speci-

coidea may
mens generally are associated with thin (<2 cm), some-

medially or adapically on test; adult spec?attached. N

times graded beds, but none of the 20 Group 1 specimens
are associated with thick graded beds rich in bioclastic

imens about 35 mm long. of all su

material. On the other hand, 46% (6 of 13) of Group 3 spec-
imens are associated with thick (>2 cm) graded beds rich

Helicoplacus curtisi, n. sp. (6). Similar hitherto

in bioclastic material. Group 2 specimens are associated
with both of these end-members. It also is interesting to

coid echino?
note that Group 1 and 3 specimens were never preserved
to H. gilberti but plates of medial "inter?
together, but they were both preserved with Group 2 spec-
imens.

, expansible ambulacral" columns without longitudinal

X-radiographic evidence indicates that Group 3 speci-
mens generally were preserved in higher energy regimes

at opposite ribs and with outer edge sharply angled; University

than Group 1 specimens, whereas Group 2 specimens
were preserved in a broad range of energy regimes. An ex-

tes arranged large, elongated, nonarticulated spines

planation for these observed differences may be that high-
er energy conditions aided in the almost complete disartic-

"inter ambu?
ulation of many Group 3 specimens by further disarticu-
locally present medially on test; Dornbos
spinesandUniversit
FIGURE 5Photograph of a portion of a bedding plane containing 17
lating them during transport (Kidwell and Baumiller, more igilspecimens,
helicoplacoid tha th4eto accompanied .h nivda.Ti eut loose plates.
by numerous
1990). Many of the Group 3 specimens, for instance, prob- Bottjer, 2001
Portion of a U.S. one cent coin for scale.
the base of the 6700' [thick section] of
olenellid-bearing strata" (3).
The free-living character and the
distinct oral and aboral poles suggest
that this echinoderm is related to the
"subphylum Echinozoa" (4). The flex-
ible character of the test suggests the
holothurians, but it differs from them A-expanded .?I m m
by the spiral arrangement of the col?
umns and the presence of only a single
ambulacrum with one branch. The fusi-
f orm shape likewise suggests some elon-
gated echinoids but the spiral pleating
and the unique method of expanding
the test separate it from that class. The
imbrication of the external (medial) B-retracted ? r m- m_,
"interambulacrar' columns when in the
retracted state and the gross character
of the ambulacra recall the edrioaster-
oids, but the presence of internal lat?
eral columns of the "interambulacra"
and the method of expanding the test
readily separate it from them.
The unique method of expanding
the test appears unlike any known
condition in other echinoderms. Only
one specimen (see cover photograph)
of the present collection, an incom-
plete oral region, obliquely flattened, is
in the fully expanded state, but the
edges of the lateral interambulacral
columns can be observed between the
medial columns in several incompletely
retracted specimens and their internal,
infolded condition can be clearly ob?
served (Fig. \B) in one cross-sectioned
individual. This mechanism necessitates
a complex internal muscle system or
else a retractor muscle system working
against an internal water vascular sys?
tem that was capable of expanding the
organism.
No trace of an attachment area has
been observed on the five specimens
on which the apical pole (or part of it) Durham et al., 1962
can be observed. Unfortunately, all
details of this pole are not clearly
preserved on any specimen, but the
shape of the pole and character of the
apical plates that are preserved do not
suggest an attachment area. Likewise
no columnals have been noted among
the thousands of dissociated plates
available. Finally, the rock matrix in
which the fossils are preserved con?
tains no clastic particles large enough
for an organism of this size to adhere
to.
 200 DORNBOS & BOTTJER

a
Well Preserved Poorly Preserved
FIGURE 4-Examples of helicoplacoid taphonomic groups utilized in this study. (A) Photograph of a Group 1 (well-preserved with a slight
amount of disarticulation) helicoplacoid specimen. This specimen is not disarticulated in the slightest, but is merely partially overlain by a
specimen in its uppermost portion. Portion U.S. one cent coin for scale. (B) Photograph of a Group 2 (partially disarticulated) helicoplac
specimen. Many interambulacral columns are partially preserved, but this specimen shows signs of decay in the loose plates around its edges.
Portion of U.S. one cent coin for scale. (C) Photograph of a Group 3 (almost fully disarticulated) helicoplacoid specimen. Only a few vestiges
of interambulacral columns are preserved in this specimen, the rest consisting of a scattering of loose plates. Portion of U.S. one cent coin
for scale.

structure. As a result of this collection bias, a dispropor-
tionately low number of Group 3 helicoplacoids probably
were collected.
To better examine helicoplacoid preservation, any orig-
inal calcite in these specimens was dissolved in HCl to al-
low for closer examination of the resulting external molds,
mens. In addition to the standard error from the mean
vector, the statistical measure used in this study is the
Rayleigh test of uniformity, which calculates the probabil-
ity that the data in the rose diagram are uniformly distrib-
uted. Probabilities that are close to, or at, zero therefore
Dornbos and Bottjer, 2001
indicate that the vectors are preferentially aligned. Four-
 Mule Spring Ls IntrabubalColumn
s Ira nju b cr W b ut~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Amuacra

Saline Valley Fm
Mouth (?)

Harkless Fm 500 ml Shap Sedient-Wate

E ~~~~~~u
B Sediment

v Poleta Fmn L A

L FIGURE 2-Helicoplacoid preservation and life position. (A) Photo-

graph of a typical well-preserved helicoplacoid specimen, preserved
as an external mold. Portion of U.S. one cent coin (1.9 cm in diameter)
0
for scale. (B) Generalized reconstruction of a helicoplacoid in life po-
M sition based on fossil evidence.

Campito Fm (Moore, 1976a) and is in the Upper Atdabanian Nevadella

trilobite zone (Fritz, 1972; Nelson, 1976; Durham, 1993).
AM In the White-Inyo Mountains, the Middle Member con-
sists of four distinct units: the lower siltstone unit, the low-
er sandstone-siltstone unit, the middle limestone-siltstone
unit, and the upper sandstone unit (Moore, 1976a, b). The
u lower siltstone usually comprises approximately two-
thirds of the Middle Member in the White-Inyo Mountains
v Deep Springs Fm M (Moore, 1976a). This unit is divided into upper and lower
parts by a limestone marker bed. Below this marker bed
shales were deposited in a subtidal environment (Moore,
1976a, b). These shales contain abundant beds of trilobite
fragments, archaeocyathids, and echinoderm plates,
which were most likely storm-deposited. This part of the
Middle Member is where the helicoplacoid site reported
40 Ni (
here is located, and where almost all helicoplacoid individ-
uals have been preserved (Durham, 1993; Dornbos and
Bottjer, 2000).
I400W

TAPHONOMY OF ECHINODERMS

Dornbos and Bottjer, 2001

Studies have shown that echinoderms in normal marine
conditions usually disarticulate into individual ossicles
Cambrian (520 Ma)
OS & BOTTJER
Life Mode
Feeding
IntrabubalColumn
s Ira nju b cr W b ut~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Amuacra

• Thought to be a
filter feeder
Mouth (?)

ml Shap Sedient-Wate

B Sediment

FIGURE 2-Helicoplacoid preservation and life position. (A) Photo-

graph of a typical well-preserved helicoplacoid specimen, preserved
Dornbos and Bottjer, 2001
OS & BOTTJER
Life Mode
Mule Spring Ls s Ira nj

Saline Valley Fm
Movement
Harkless Fm 500 ml
IntrabubalColumn

E ~~~~~~u
s Ira nju b cr W b ut~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Amuacra

• Sediment Sticker v Poleta Fmn L A

L FIGURE 2-Helicoplacoi
graph of a typical well
as an external mold. Por
0
for scale. (B) Generalize
M
• Could expand and
sition based on fossil e

Campito Fm Mouth (?)

contract
(Moore, 1976a) and
trilobite zone (Frit

ml
AM In the White-Inyo
sists of four distinct
• unclear if it could er sandstone-siltsto
Shap Sedient-Wate
unit, and the upper

move around u lower siltstone us

thirds of the Middl

• but probably if it had v Deep Springs Fm M

B Sediment
(Moore, 1976a). Thi
parts by a limeston

tube feet like other shales were deposit

1976a, b). These sha
echinoderms fragments, archa
which were most li
A Middle Member is
40 Ni (
here is located, and
uals have been pre
FIGURE 2-Helicoplacoid preservation and life position. (A) Photo- Bottjer, 2000).
https://youtu.be/tvTH3Q4OLdQ
graph of a typical well-preserved helicoplacoid specimen,
Dornbos preserved
I400W
et al., 2001
 Two Things I found Interesting
DORNBOS & BO

• It is an echinoderm but
Mule
doesSpring
not have 5 Ls
fold s Ira nju b c

symmetry
Saline Valley Fm
• It is the oldest known
echinoderm
Harkless Fm 500 ml

E ~~~~~~u
leta Fmn L A
tree of animals here, arrow points to echinoderms
RNBOS & BOTTJ

Thanks!
ng Ls IntrabubalColumn
s Ira nju b cr W b ut~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

ey Fm

m 500 ml

~~~u
B Sedime

mn L A