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The earliest-known ancestors of Recent Priapulomorpha from the Early Cambrian Chengjiang Lagerstätte

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Chinese Science Bulletin

Abstract

The taxonomy of an early ancestor of Recent Priapulidae,Xiaoheiqingella peculiaris (=Yunnanpriapulus halteroformis Huang et al., 2004) from the Early Cambrian Chengjiang fossil Lagerstätte, is revised. Morphological characters comprise a pair of caudal appendages rather than a single appendage flanking the trunk end and a possible urogenital duct found inside the preanal region. An additional extremely rare fossil priapulid worm,Paratubiluchus bicaudatus gen. nov., sp. nov. is also described herein. Its diagnostic characters are: an introvert bearing 25 longitudinal rows of scalids, a distinct neck region, no annulus on the oval trunk, and a pair of caudal appendages. The proportion of body parts is similar in size to that of loricate larvae of Recent priapulids and larva-formed Palaeopriapulitidae. Taking account of the features ofXiaoheiqingella, bicaudal appendages are considered to be a synapomorphy of Priapulidae and Tubiluchidae.Paratubiluchus gen. nov. is most likely a candidate for the ancestor of the Tubiluchidae; it probably originated from a larva-formed priapulid with 25 rows of scalids, thus representing an intermediate link between the priapulids in mature-form and the priapulids with lorica.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Geology and Key Laboratory for Continental Dynamics of the Education Ministry, Northwest University, 710069, Xi’an, China

    Jian Han, Degan Shu, Zhifei Zhang & Jianni Liu

  2. School of Earth Sciences and Resources, China University of Geosciences, 100083, Beijing, China

    Degan Shu

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  1. Jian Han
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  2. Degan Shu
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  3. Zhifei Zhang
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  4. Jianni Liu
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Correspondence to Jian Han.

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Han, J., Shu, D., Zhang, Z. et al. The earliest-known ancestors of Recent Priapulomorpha from the Early Cambrian Chengjiang Lagerstätte. Chin.Sci.Bull. 49, 1860–1868 (2004). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF03183414

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF03183414

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