• Economic and Environmental Geology
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• v.42 no.4
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• pp.367-376
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• 2009

Forty specimens of fossil ophiuroids were collected from two formations of the Cenozoic marine deposits, Duho Formation and Hagjeon Formation, Pohang Basin, Korea. A few specimens were three-dimensionally preserved: most of them were remained flattened and articulated. Although a gross morphology is well preserved in some specimens, the details such as disk shape and plates which is the most important diagnostic features were not observed. Most of the arms are disarticulated, and thus arm vertebra, arm spines and/or arm plates are separately preserved. Only an oral side is recognized in an attached specimens because crossing arms into disk are clearly visible. It is, thus almost impossible to identify Korean ophiuroid fossils as a species level or even a genus level. The fossils were classified into 3 groups by gross morphology of disk and arm, and architecture of vertebra. The most abundant fossils (32 specimens), were found only in the Hagjeon Formation. The majority of specimens are partially disarticulated, having only proximal and median portions of their arms preserved. Arm plates are disarticulated from arm vertebra: most of them show structure of arm vertebra. It has long and well-preserved arm spines, and large tentacle pore. Some specimens (4 specimens) from the Duho Formation is characterized by short and conical arm spines, and well-developed arm plates. Lateral arm plates are small in compared to dorsal and ventral arm plates. The others (4 specimens) is poor in preservation state showing circular oral disk and relatively short sinuous arms. No arm plates are either identified.