Kerygmachela kierkegaardi
Encyclopedia
Kerygmachela kierkegaardi was a blind nekton
ic organism from the Sirius Passet
Lagerstätte
, from Cambrian
Greenland
. Its anatomy strongly suggests that it, along with its relative Pambdelurion whittingtoni
, was either an anomalocarid
or a close relative thereof. The specific name, "kierkegaardi" honors Danish
philosopher Søren Kierkegaard
.
It had a pair of well-developed anterior limbs that had long spines, and terminated in long, feeler-like cerci. These limbs correspond to the traditional anterior feeding-limbs of other anomalocarids. The conical mouth opens up at the very base between these two limbs. It also had 11 pairs of lateral lobes (used in swimming), along with 11 pairs of small legs at the lobes' bases, and a posterior pair of cerci.
The spiny anterior limbs suggest that it may have been a predator; however, its small mouth suggests it would have been restricted to very small prey.
Nekton
Nekton refers to the aggregate of actively swimming aquatic organisms in a body of water able to move independently of water currents....
ic organism from the Sirius Passet
Sirius Passet
Sirius Passet is a Cambrian Lagerstätte in Greenland. The Sirius Passet Lagerstätte was named after the Sirius sledge patrol that operates in North Greenland. It comprises six localities located on the eastern shore of J.P. Koch Fjord in the far north of Greenland. It was discovered in 1984 by A....
Lagerstätte
Lagerstätte
A Lagerstätte is a sedimentary deposit that exhibits extraordinary fossil richness or completeness.Palaeontologists distinguish two kinds....
, from Cambrian
Cambrian
The Cambrian is the first geological period of the Paleozoic Era, lasting from Mya ; it is succeeded by the Ordovician. Its subdivisions, and indeed its base, are somewhat in flux. The period was established by Adam Sedgwick, who named it after Cambria, the Latin name for Wales, where Britain's...
Greenland
Greenland
Greenland is an autonomous country within the Kingdom of Denmark, located between the Arctic and Atlantic Oceans, east of the Canadian Arctic Archipelago. Though physiographically a part of the continent of North America, Greenland has been politically and culturally associated with Europe for...
. Its anatomy strongly suggests that it, along with its relative Pambdelurion whittingtoni
Pambdelurion whittingtoni
Pambdelurion whittingtoni was a blind nektonic organism from the Sirius Passet Lagerstätte, from Cambrian Greenland. Its anatomy strongly suggests that it, along with its relative Kerygmachela kierkegaardi, was either an anomalocarid or a close relative thereof.P...
, was either an anomalocarid
Anomalocarid
AnomalocarididsNeolatin compound word from Greek ἀνώμαλος anomalos and καρίς karis , meaning "strange shrimp". Note that while "Anomalocarid" is a widely used alternative spelling, the double "id" at the end is technically the correct form, for the reasons given in...
or a close relative thereof. The specific name, "kierkegaardi" honors Danish
Denmark
Denmark is a Scandinavian country in Northern Europe. The countries of Denmark and Greenland, as well as the Faroe Islands, constitute the Kingdom of Denmark . It is the southernmost of the Nordic countries, southwest of Sweden and south of Norway, and bordered to the south by Germany. Denmark...
philosopher Søren Kierkegaard
Søren Kierkegaard
Søren Aabye Kierkegaard was a Danish Christian philosopher, theologian and religious author. He was a critic of idealist intellectuals and philosophers of his time, such as Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel, Friedrich Wilhelm Joseph Schelling and Karl Wilhelm Friedrich Schlegel...
.
It had a pair of well-developed anterior limbs that had long spines, and terminated in long, feeler-like cerci. These limbs correspond to the traditional anterior feeding-limbs of other anomalocarids. The conical mouth opens up at the very base between these two limbs. It also had 11 pairs of lateral lobes (used in swimming), along with 11 pairs of small legs at the lobes
The spiny anterior limbs suggest that it may have been a predator; however, its small mouth suggests it would have been restricted to very small prey.
Further reading
External links
- Anomalocarid Homepage http://www.trilobites.info/species4.html
- PalaeosPalaeosPalaeos.com is a web site on biology, paleontology, cladistics and geology and which covers the history of Earth. The site is well respected and has been used as a reference by professional paleontologists such as Michael J. Benton, the professor of vertebrate palaeontology in the Department of...
http://www.palaeos.com/Invertebrates/Arthropods/Anomalocarida/Kerygmachela.html