ECHINODERM FAUNAS OF THE HONGGULELENG FORMATION, LATE DEVONIAN (FAMENNIAN), XINJIANG-UYGUR AUTONOMOUS REGION, PEOPLES-REPUBLIC-OF-CHINA

Famennian (Late Devonian) echinoderm faunas are poorly known on a glob al basis, although reasonably diverse faunas have been reported from E ngland and Germany. We have collected a diverse (>500 specimens repres enting approximately 30 taxa) Famennian echinoderm fauna dominated by blastoids and inadunate, small-calyx camerate, and flexible crinoids f rom the Hongguleleng Formation, Junggar Basin, Xinjiang-Uygur Autonomo us Region, People's Republic of China. Taxa reported here include five new genera and six new species of blastoids along with one new genus and 19 new species of crinoids. Blastoid taxa include Junggaroblastus hoxtolgayensis new genus and species, Orophocrinus devonicus new speci es, Xinjiangoblastus ornatus new genus and species, Uyguroblastus coni cus new genus and species, Sinopetaloblastus jinxingae new genus and s pecies, and Houiblastus devonicus new genus and species. Crinoid taxa include Uperocrinus zhaoae new species, ?Hexacrinites species, Agathoc rinus junggarensis new species, Chinacrinus xinjiangensis new genus an d species, ?C. nodosus new genus and species, C. species A, C. species B, C, species C, Eutaxocrinus chinaensis new species, E. boulongouren sis new species, E. basellus new species, Forbesiocrinus inexpectans n ew species, Deltacrinus asiaticus new species, Bridgerocrinus minutus new species, B. delicatulus new species. Cosmetocrinus parvus new spec ies, ?Pachylocrinus subpentagonalis new species, ''Decadocrinus'' cons trictus new species, ''D. '' elongatus new species, ''D.'' rugosus new species, ''D.'' usitatus new species, ''D.'' xinjiangensis new specie s, ?Graphiocrinus species, Holcocrinus asiaticus new species, and four species of inadunate crinoids that could not be assigned to genera. T his fauna is more abundant and diverse than all other Famennian echino derm faunas in the world combined, and it is critical in understanding echinoderm biogeography and evolution in the aftermath of the Late De vonian extinction event(s) prior to the Carboniferous echinoderm diver sification. This echinoderm fauna is ''Carboniferous'' in affinity and indicates that echinoderm diversification and reradiation were well u nderway before the close of the Famennian.