Study of the Echinoid Fossils from Yujing Area Tainan Taiwan

Abstract

A total of 819 specimens of fossil echinoids were collected from three outcrops along the Zengwen River near the Yu-Fong Bridge of Yujing Area Tainan Taiwan Being fossiliferous those three outcrops belong to the Yujing Shale of early Pleistocene Fossil-bearing sedimentary strata are age-equivalent to the lower section of Toukoshan Formation in the northern part of the western foothill region of Taiwan Among the fossils collected echinoids are classified and at least 13 species are identified based on the new identification table with 51 morphologic characteristics developed for this study Linear measurements of the most abundant clypeasteroid echinoids show that the length versus width and the average test diameter versus test height are not reliable criteria for taxonomy of fossil echinoids in this region Based on the echinoid assemblages and the faunal successions those three outcrops belong to the same unit of Yujing Shale and the inferred water depth changes from about 100 m to about 60 m

Date of Award	2020
Original language	English
Supervisor	Ming-Chee Wu (Supervisor)