Echinoderms of the Middle Ordovician Platteville and lower Galena Groups of north-central Illinois and south-central Wisconsin are represented by at least seven classes including the Homoiostelea, Cystoidea, Crinoidea, Stelleroidea, Edrioasteroidea, Cyclocystoidea, Echinoidea, and possibly Holothuroidea. The most abundant and diverse echinoderms are monocyclic and dicyclic inadunate and camerate crinoids, of which the cupulocrinids and glyptocrinids are best represented. Thirteen new species and one new genus of crinoids are described: Cremacrinus guttenbergensis, Anulocrinus forrestonensis, Isotomocrinus minutus, Carabocrinus oogyi, Dendrocrinus? springeri, Merocrinus britonensis, Cupulocrinus plattevillensis, C. molanderi, Reteocrinus rocktonensis, R. spinosus, Traskocrinus mahlburgi (n. gen. et sp.), Rhaphanocrinus buckleyi, Glyptocrinus charltoni, and G. pustulosis. One new species of rhombiferan cystoid, Coronocystis durandensis, is also described. Echinoids of the family Bothriocidaridae (Bothriocidaris solemi n. sp. and Neobothriocidaris templetoni n. sp.) are reported for the first time from North America and appear to be the earliest recorded occurrence. Remains of a third bothriocidarid characterized by coalesced podial pores have also been discovered. Light and scanning electron microscopy of well preserved cyclocystoid specimens reveal a number of previously undescribed morphologic features of the central disc and submarginal ring that may shed some light on their functional morphology.
Cupulocrinus gracilis Ramsbottom from the Upper Drummuck Group Starfish Bed at Thraive Glen near Girvan, Scotland, is here reassigned to C. drummuckensis n. sp.
Echinoderms are associated with an abundant and diverse fauna consisting largely of suspension feeders, primarily strophomenid and orthid brachiopods and trepostome and cryptostome bryozoans. Other common groups include corals, trilobites, sponges, and mollusks. Filamentous brown, foliose red and siphonaceous green algae are associated with the fauna at some localities.
Carbonate rocks of both the limestone and dolostone facies of the Platteville (Briton, Walgreen and Forreston Members) and lower Galene Groups in the study area consist primarily of abundant shelly invertebrates occurring as whole and broken, unabraded, commonly articulated remains “floating” in a calcisiltite matrix that is highly bioturbated. Carbonate sediments appear to have been deposited in a near-to below wave base, highly stable, open marine environment characterized by low depositional slopes, good circulation and low terrigenous influx.
