Oligocene Echinoids from North Carolina

Abstract

Oligocene echinoids are rare, which makes important this material from three quarries in North Carolina. Three species occur in the state quarry at Pollocksville: <i>Psammechinus carolinensis</i>, new species, <i>Maretia carolinensis</i>, new species, and <i>Agassizia</i> sp. At the New Bern quarry occur <i>Rhyncholampas gouldii</i> (Bouvé) <i>newbernensis</i>, new subspecies, <i>Agassizia mossomi</i> Cooke, <i>Psammechinus carolinensis</i>, new species, <i>Dixieus dixie</i> (Cooke), <i>Clypeaster rogersi</i> (Morton), <i>and Maretia</i> sp. <i>Periarchus lyelli</i> (Conrad) is found in underlying Eocene beds. The Belgrade quarry fauna consists of <i>Arbia aldrichi</i> (Clark), <i>Gagaria mossomi</i> (Cooke), <i>Echinocyamus wilsoni</i>, new species, and <i>Agassizia mossomi</i> Cooke. These echinoids indicate a middle to late Oligocene age for the Trent Formation (&equals; River Bend) and Belgrade Formation (&equals; River Bend).