Campanian and Maastrichtian hippuritid rudists (Hippuritida, Bivalvia) of the Chiapas Central Depression (southern Mexico) and implications for American multiple-fold hippuritid taxonomy

© 2018, The Paleontological Society. Hippuritids, particularly those with multiple-folds, are one of the most characteristic components in uppermost Cretaceous rudist-bearing strata of the Caribbean Province. The hippuritid rudist fauna of the Chiapas Central Depression includes the following taxa: Vaccinites vermunti Mac Gillavry, 1937 and Barrettia cf. B. ruseae Chubb, 1967 from the early Campanian Suchiapa Formation; B. monilifera Woodward, 1862, B. gigas Chubb, 1955, and Parastroma trechmanni Chubb, 1967 from the mid Campanian Suchiapa Formation; and Praebarrettia sparcilirata (Whitfield, 1897) from the early Maastrichtian Ocozocoautla Formation. These six species are described herein in detail. New observations on the outer shell layer structure of the right valve and the pore-canal system of the left valve led to amending the diagnoses of the g|enera Barrettia Woodward, 1862, Parastroma Douvillé, 1926, and Praebarrettia Trechmann, 1924. Also, the revision of Chiapas' and other American species of multiple-fold hippuritids led to proposed changes in their generic adscription.