PBDB Taxon

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Furcaster

Ophiuroidea - Oegophiurida - Protasteridae

Taxonomy

Furcaster was named by Stürtz (1886) [Sepkoski's age data: O Ashg-m C Tour Sepkoski's reference number: 1066]. Its type is Furcaster palaeozoicus. It is the type genus of Furcasteridae. It was considered monophyletic by Dean Shackleton (2005).

It was assigned to Lapworthuridae by Schuchert (1915); to Furcasteridae by Spencer (1925), Lehmann (1957), Owen (1965), Spencer and Wright (1966), Haude and Thomas (1983) and Boczarowski (2001); to Oegophiurida by Sepkoski (2002); and to Protasteridae by Dean Shackleton (2005).

Species

F. aequoreus, F. cataphractus, F. daoulasensis, F. decheni, F. leptosoma (syn. Squamaster echinatus, Sympterura minveri), F. palaeozoicus (type species), F. trepidans, F. zitteli

Species lacking formal opinion data

F. separatus

Synonyms

Rhodostoma was named by Sollas and Sollas (1912).

It was synonymized subjectively with Sturtzura by Schuchert (1915); it was synonymized subjectively with Furcaster by Spencer (1925).
Squamaster was named by Ringueberg (1886). Its type is Squamaster echinatus.

It was synonymized subjectively with Furcaster by Spencer (1925).

It was assigned to Lapworthuridae by Schuchert (1915).
Sympterura was named by Bather (1905). Its type is Sympterura minveri.

It was synonymized subjectively with Furcaster by Spencer (1925).

It was assigned to Lapworthuridae by Bather (1905) and Schuchert (1915).
Palastropecten was named by Stürtz (1886). Its type is Palastropecten zitteli.

It was synonymized subjectively with Furcaster by Spencer (1925).

It was assigned to Lapworthuridae by Schuchert (1915).
Palaespondylus was named by Stürtz (1899).

It was synonymized subjectively with Palastropecten by Schuchert (1915); it was synonymized subjectively with Furcaster by Spencer (1925).
Eoluidia was named by Stürtz (1886). Its type is Eoluidia decheni. It is the type genus of Eoluidiidae.

It was synonymized subjectively with Furcaster by Spencer (1925).

It was assigned to Eoluidiidae by Schuchert (1915).
Eophiurites was named by Stürtz (1899).

It was synonymized subjectively with Eophiura by Schuchert (1915); it was synonymized subjectively with Furcaster by Spencer (1925).

Synonymy list

Year	Name and author
1886	Squamaster Ringueberg p. 5
1886	Palastropecten Stürtz p. 88
1886	Eoluidia Stürtz p. 89
1886	Furcaster Stürtz p. 148
1899	Eophiurites Stürtz p. 190
1899	Palaespondylus Stürtz p. 190
1905	Sympterura Bather pp. 161-169 figs. pl. 1 figs. 1-3, 6
1912	Rhodostoma Sollas and Sollas p. 225
1915	Squamaster Schuchert p. 249
1915	Sympterura Schuchert pp. 256-260 figs. text-fig. 32
1915	Furcaster Schuchert p. 261
1915	Palastropecten Schuchert pp. 261-262
1915	Eoluidia Schuchert p. 262
1925	Furcaster Spencer pp. 312-316
1957	Furcaster Lehmann pp. 63-65
1965	Furcaster Owen p. 556
1966	Furcaster Spencer and Wright p. U88
1983	Furcaster Haude and Thomas p. 128
2001	Furcaster Boczarowski p. 29
2002	Furcaster Sepkoski
2005	Furcaster Dean Shackleton p. 84

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Rank	Name	Author
kingdom	Animalia	()
—	Bilateria
—	Eubilateria	Ax 1987
—	Deuterostomia
—	Ambulacraria
phylum	Echinodermata
subphylum	Eleutherozoa

Rank	Name	Author
—	Asterozoa	()
class	Ophiuroidea
order	Oegophiurida
suborder	Lysophiurina	()
family	Protasteridae
genus	Furcaster

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.

G. †Furcaster Stürtz 1886

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†Furcaster aequoreus Boczarowski 2001

†Furcaster cataphractus Boczarowski 2001

†Furcaster daoulasensis Davy 1887

†Furcaster decheni Stürtz 1886

†Furcaster leptosoma Salter 1857

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Invalid names: Squamaster echinatus Ringueberg 1886 [synonym], Sympterura minveri Bather 1905 [synonym]

†Furcaster palaeozoicus Stürtz 1886

†Furcaster trepidans Spencer 1925

†Furcaster zitteli Stürtz 1886

Invalid names: Eoluidia Stürtz 1886 [synonym], Eophiurites Stürtz 1899 [synonym], Palaespondylus Stürtz 1899 [synonym], Palastropecten Stürtz 1886 [synonym], Rhodostoma Sollas and Sollas 1912 [synonym], Squamaster Ringueberg 1886 [synonym], Sympterura Bather 1905 [synonym]

Diagnosis

Reference	Diagnosis
J. Dean Shackleton 2005	Ambulacral preeadial bar with medial oral ridge; proximal aboral ambulacral muscle facet more strongly curved than distal; loss of strongly calcified interradial disc.