An exceptionally well-preserved starfish fauna (Asteroidea, Echinodermata) from the Early Miocene of southeastern France
A new starfish fauna from the Late Burdigalian (Early Miocene) of the Apt basin (Rhodano-Provençal gulf, southeastern France) is described here. This new starfish fauna comes from accumulation levels of marine invertebrates, including exceptionally well-preserved pectinid bivalves and echinoderms. Among the echinoderms, the sea urchins are the most abundant, closely followed by the starfish. This is the first time the starfish fauna is being studied in detail. Here are described twelve additional specimens of Lacosteaster lauerorum Gale & Ward, 2024 (Solasteridae, Valvatida) with the first description of the abactinal face of the species, an undetermined species of Astropecten (Astropectinidae, Paxillosida), and two new genera and species: Cruciformaster pedicellarius gen. nov. et sp. nov . (Oreasteridae, Valvatida) and Menerbesaster bongrainae gen. nov. et sp. nov . (Echinasteridae, Spinulosida).
Authors
- Anaïs Travers
- Marine Fau (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4289-8456)
- Pauline Coster (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4015-252X)
- Bertrand Lefebvre
- M. Roux
Institutions
- Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1 (FR)
- University of Geneva (CH)
- National Museum of Natural History (US)
- Natural History Museum of Geneva (CH)
- Fanjingshan National Nature Reserve (CN)
- Institut de Systématique, Évolution, Biodiversité (FR)
- Muséum national d'Histoire naturelle (FR)
Publication Details
- Journal
- Swiss Journal of Palaeontology
- Published
- 2026-02-03
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.3897/sjp.145.180374
- Primary Topic
- Echinoderm biology and ecology
- Type
- article
- Field-Weighted Citation Impact
- 0.00
Funders
- National Science Foundation
- Smithsonian Institution
- Schweizerischer Nationalfonds zur Förderung der Wissenschaftlichen Forschung
- Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique
- National Museum of Natural History