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Forcipulatacea

Asteroidea

Taxonomy
Forcipulatacea was named by Blake (1987). It is extant. It was considered monophyletic by Blake and Hagdorn (2003).

It was assigned to Asteroidea by Blake (1989); to Neoasteroidea by Villier et al. (2009); and to Neoasteroidea by Blake and Hagdorn (2003), Blake et al. (2017).

Synonymy list
YearName and author
1987Forcipulatacea Blake
1989Forcipulatacea Blake p. 213
2003Forcipulatacea Blake and Hagdorn p. 35
2009Forcipulatacea Villier et al. p. 390
2017Forcipulatacea Blake et al. p. 324

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RankNameAuthor
kingdomAnimalia()
Bilateria
EubilateriaAx 1987
Deuterostomia
Ambulacraria
phylumEchinodermata
subphylumEleutherozoa
RankNameAuthor
Asterozoa()
classAsteroidea
subclassAmbuloasteroidea
infraclassNeoasteroidea()
superorderForcipulatacea
superorderForcipulatacea

If no rank is listed, the taxon is considered an unranked clade in modern classifications. Ranks may be repeated or presented in the wrong order because authors working on different parts of the classification may disagree about how to rank taxa.

Superor. Forcipulatacea Blake 1987
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G. †Forbesasterias Fau et al. 2024
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Forbesasterias gaveyi Forbes 1850
Or. †Trichasteropsida Blake 1987
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Fm. †Trichasteropsiidae Blake and Hagdorn 2003
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G. †Berckhemeraster Blake and Hagdorn 2003
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Berckhemeraster charistikos Blake and Hagdorn 2003
G. †Trichasteropsis Eck 1879
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Trichasteropsis bielertorum Blake and Hagdorn 2003
Trichasteropsis weissmanni von Münster 1843
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Invalid names: Asterias cilicia Quenstedt 1852 [synonym], Asterias obtusa Goldfuss 1833 [synonym], Trichasteropsis hippeleini Rothe 1959 [synonym]
Or. Zorocallida Downey 1970
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G. †Protothyraster Hess 1970
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Protothyraster priscus de Loriol 1874
G. †Terminaster Hess 1974
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Terminaster cancriformis Quenstedt 1876
Fm. †Terminasteridae Gale 2011
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G. †Alkaidia Blake and Reid 1998
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Alkaidia megaungula Ewin and Gale 2020
Alkaidia sumralli Blake and Reid 1998
G. †Viridisaster Fau and Villier 2023
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Viridisaster guerangeri Fau and Villier 2023
Diagnosis
No diagnoses are available
Measurements
No measurements are available
Composition: high Mg calcitec
Ontogeny: accretion, addition of partsp
Environment: marinep
Locomotion: slow-movingc
Life habit: low-level epifaunalc
Diet: carnivorec
Vision: limitedc
Dispersal: waterp
Dispersal 2: planktonicp
Created: 2004-02-28 15:35:10
Modified: 2010-02-09 06:02:08
Source: c = class, p = phylum
References: Aberhan 1992, Aberhan et al. 2004

Age range

Maximum range based only on fossils: base of the Pelsonian to the top of the Early/Lower Cenomanian or 244.24000 to 93.90000 Ma
Minimum age of oldest fossil (stem group age): 243.33 Ma

Collections (35 total)


Time interval Ma Country or state Original ID and collection number
Anisian246.7 - 241.464Germany Trichasteropsis senfti (31996 59960) Trichasteropsis weissmanni (59964)
Pelsonian244.24 - 243.33Germany (Niedersachsen) Trichasteropsis bielertorum (66896)
Pelsonian244.24 - 243.33Germany (Nordrhein-Westfalen) Trichasteropsis bielertorum (59967)
Fassanian241.464 - 239.48Germany Trichasteropsis weissmanni (187348)
Fassanian241.464 - 239.48Italy Trichasteropsis sp. (236942)
Ladinian241.464 - 237.0Germany (Bayern) Berckhemeraster charistikos (59969 59970) Trichasteropsis weissmanni (59965 59966)
Ladinian241.464 - 237.0Germany (Baden-Württemberg) Berckhemeraster charistikos (59968)
Ladinian241.464 - 237.0Germany Trichasteropsis senfti (59958 59959) Trichasteropsis weissmanni (59926 59928) Trichasteropsis weissmanni, Trichasteropsis senfti (59927 59961)
Ladinian241.464 - 237.0Germany (Thuringia) Trichasteropsis senfti (59962) Trichasteropsis weissmanni (59963)
Liasicus201.4 - 199.5Belgium Terminaster sp. (40087)
Sinemurian199.5 - 192.9Luxembourg Terminaster spinulosus, Terminaster sp. (32014)
Davoei192.9 - 184.2United Kingdom (England) Asterias gaveyi (33336)
Callovian165.3 - 161.5Germany (Brandenburg) Terminaster cancriformis (32016)
Early/Lower Callovian165.3 - 161.5France Terminaster cancriformis (58221)
Late/Upper Oxfordian157.9 - 154.8France Terminaster cancriformis (61724)
Late/Upper Oxfordian157.9 - 154.8Switzerland Terminaster cancriformis (58317)
Late/Upper Hauterivian132.6 - 125.77Switzerland (Neuchatel) Protothyraster priscus (31986)
Late/Upper Albian106.3 - 100.5USA (Texas) Alkaidia sumralli (59875 59876 59878 59880)
Early/Lower Cenomanian100.5 - 93.9USA (Texas) Alkaidia sumralli (59881 59882 59883)