Fossil echinoderms of Mexico - An overview of the National Collection of Paleontology "Maria del Carmen Perrilliat", Institute of Geology, UNAM (Mexico).

The National Paleontology Collection is the most important paleontological collection in Mexico due to the relevance of its specimens, curation, and service to the scientific community. This work is based on the revision and the taxonomic update of the echinoderms deposited into the Collection of Types of the National Collection of Paleontology (CNP). We obtained the echinoderm database of the National Paleontology Collection, being collated with the specimens and their labels. All these specimens are included with their catalog number, taxonomy, localities, and geological age. The nomenclature and taxonomy of each species were revised based on the most recent references. The geological information (nomenclature, age, or unit) was derived from the original publications, updated, and complimented with more recently published data, in congruence with the Stratigraphic Lexicon of Mexico. The CNP houses a total of 385 records classified in 107 species: 19 Crinoidea, 1 Asteroidea, 1 Ophiuroidea, 84 Echinoidea, and 2 Holothuroidea; 27 changes in their taxonomy were done. The echinoderm records come from 69 localities, 52 assigned to 31 formations/units across the country, and 17 not assigned yet. The Cretaceous is the best represented period with 14 formations/units and 6 localities. San Juan Raya (Puebla) is the most diverse formation with 12 species of Echinoidea; The Tlayúa formation (Puebla), due to its excellent quality o preservation, is the only one with fossil ophiuroid and holothuroid species reported in Mexico. This paper is the beginning of a series of publications focused on the analysis of the systematics, paleodiversity, past ecosystem structures, and paleobiogeography of the Mexican fossil echinoderms and applying novel approaches. • The National Collection of Paleontology, Mexico, houses 107 species of echinoderms. • The Class Echinoidea is the most diverse, with 84 fossil species. • Echinoderm are reported from 31 distinct geological units or Formations from Mexico. • Mexico has an important Cretaceous echinoderm record. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]