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Peer-reviewedCC BYFossil Record

Re-assessment of the aberrant brittle star genus Astrosombra (Echinodermata, Ophiuroidea), based on an exceptionally preserved specimen from the Upper Cretaceous of Rügen, north-east Germany

  • Ben Thuy1
  • Nils Schlüter2
  • John W. M. Jagt3
  • Andreas Kroh4
  • Viola Winkler4
4 affiliations
  1. 1Musée national d’Histoire naturelle Luxembourg
  2. 2Museum für Naturkunde, Leibniz-Institut für Evolutions- und Biodiversitätsforschung
  3. 3Natuurhistorisch Museum Maastricht
  4. 4Naturhistorisches Museum Wien, Zentrale Forschungslaboratorien
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Abstract

Amongst the most extraordinary extinct ophiuroids is the genus Astrosombra from the Upper Cretaceous of Germany. Initially known from isolated ossicles only, the extremely expanded lateral arm plates suggested an aberrant body shape comparable to that seen in the extraordinary astrophiurid genus Astrophiura. Here, we describe the first articulated specimen of Astrosombra rammsteinensis, the type and only known species of the genus, from the type locality of the taxon, showing the highly modified lateral arm plates in their anatomical context and providing insights into the general skeletal morphology. The new specimen confirms the presence of extremely widened arms, formed by the aberrantly expanded lateral arm plates articulating with unusually wide vertebrae and covered dorsally by multiple rows of dorsal arm plates. The width of the arms is further increased by large, flat, feather-like arm spines. MicroCT images of the articulated disc revealed morphological details, in particular, high oral plates with wing-like expansions, suggesting transfer of Astrosombra from the Amphilimnidae to the Ophiopsilidae. In analogy with Astrophiura, the extremely widened arms, the fringe of flat arm spines, the large tentacle pores and the overall flat body shape suggest that Astrosombra inhabited the small, patchy hard substrates formed by the skeletal remains of other organisms.

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Cite

BibTeXRIS
BibTeX
@article{thuy2026reassessment,
  title = {{Re-assessment of the aberrant brittle star genus Astrosombra (Echinodermata, Ophiuroidea), based on an exceptionally preserved specimen from the Upper Cretaceous of Rügen, north-east Germany}},
  author = {Ben Thuy and Nils Schlüter and John W. M. Jagt and Andreas Kroh and Viola Winkler},
  journal = {Fossil Record},
  year = {2026},
  month = oct,
  doi = {10.3897/fr.29.202952},
  url = {https://doi.org/10.3897/fr.29.202952},
  note = {CC BY},
}
RIS
TY  - JOUR
TI  - Re-assessment of the aberrant brittle star genus Astrosombra (Echinodermata, Ophiuroidea), based on an exceptionally preserved specimen from the Upper Cretaceous of Rügen, north-east Germany
AU  - Ben Thuy
AU  - Nils Schlüter
AU  - John W. M. Jagt
AU  - Andreas Kroh
AU  - Viola Winkler
PY  - 2026
DA  - 2026/10/29
JO  - Fossil Record
DO  - 10.3897/fr.29.202952
UR  - https://doi.org/10.3897/fr.29.202952
AB  - Amongst the most extraordinary extinct ophiuroids is the genus Astrosombra from the Upper Cretaceous of Germany. Initially known from isolated ossicles only, the extremely expanded lateral arm plates suggested an aberrant body shape comparable to that seen in the extraordinary astrophiurid genus Astrophiura. Here, we describe the first articulated specimen of Astrosombra rammsteinensis, the type and only known species of the genus, from the type locality of the taxon, showing the highly modified lateral arm plates in their anatomical context and providing insights into the general skeletal morphology. The new specimen confirms the presence of extremely widened arms, formed by the aberrantly expanded lateral arm plates articulating with unusually wide vertebrae and covered dorsally by multiple rows of dorsal arm plates. The width of the arms is further increased by large, flat, feather-like arm spines. MicroCT images of the articulated disc revealed morphological details, in particular, high oral plates with wing-like expansions, suggesting transfer of Astrosombra from the Amphilimnidae to the Ophiopsilidae. In analogy with Astrophiura, the extremely widened arms, the fringe of flat arm spines, the large tentacle pores and the overall flat body shape suggest that Astrosombra inhabited the small, patchy hard substrates formed by the skeletal remains of other organisms.
SN  - 2193-0074
SN  - 2193-0066
ER  -