Heterochronic evolution in the Late Cretaceous echinoid Gauthieria (Echinoidea, Phymosomatidae)

Based on representatives of the Late Cretaceous genus Gauthieria (Gauthieria radiata – Gauthieria spatulifera – Gauthieria princeps), ontogenetic trajectories within the family Phymosomatidae are described for the first time. Due to shared similarities in their ontogenetic development, an intimate evolutionary relationship must be assumed. This interpretation is most supported by analyses of the development in the ambulacral plating pattern (alternation of simple plates and compound plates), which is not commonly found among the Phymosomatoidae. This pattern, however, is present among all three species during development. The developmental trajectories of 8 further characters were included in this study (arrangement of the adapical pore pairs, number of pore pairs, pore pair numbers in ambital ambulacral plates, number of interambulacral plates, peristomal opening, apical opening diameter, test height, radial ornament of the areoles). The evolution in this lineage is characterised by several different heterochronic processes, which suggest a dissociated heterochronic evolution, indicating a developmental modularity. Additionally, the systematic treatment of G. princeps is discussed on account of the presented results.