Vetustovermis planus
Encyclopedia
Vetustovermis is a soft-bodied middle Cambrian animal
, possibly a cephalopod
. The single reported fossil specimen is from the South Australian Emu Bay shale
.
The original description of Vetustovermis hedged its bets regarding classification, but tentatively highlighted some similarities with the annelid
worms. It was later considered an arthropod
, and in 2010 Smith and Caron, agreeing that Petalilium
was at least a close relative of Vetustovermis (but that treating it as a synonym was premature, given the poor preservation of the Vetustovermis type), placed it with Nectocaris
in the clade
Nectocarididae
.
Early press reports misspelled the genus name as Vetustodermis.
Animal
Animals are a major group of multicellular, eukaryotic organisms of the kingdom Animalia or Metazoa. Their body plan eventually becomes fixed as they develop, although some undergo a process of metamorphosis later on in their life. Most animals are motile, meaning they can move spontaneously and...
, possibly a cephalopod
Cephalopod
A cephalopod is any member of the molluscan class Cephalopoda . These exclusively marine animals are characterized by bilateral body symmetry, a prominent head, and a set of arms or tentacles modified from the primitive molluscan foot...
. The single reported fossil specimen is from the South Australian Emu Bay shale
Emu Bay shale
The Emu Bay Shale is a geological formation in Emu Bay, South Australia, containing a major Konservat-Lagerstätten . It is one of two in the world containing Redlichiidan trilobites...
.
The original description of Vetustovermis hedged its bets regarding classification, but tentatively highlighted some similarities with the annelid
Annelid
The annelids , formally called Annelida , are a large phylum of segmented worms, with over 17,000 modern species including ragworms, earthworms and leeches...
worms. It was later considered an arthropod
Arthropod
An arthropod is an invertebrate animal having an exoskeleton , a segmented body, and jointed appendages. Arthropods are members of the phylum Arthropoda , and include the insects, arachnids, crustaceans, and others...
, and in 2010 Smith and Caron, agreeing that Petalilium
Petalilium
Petalilium is an enigmatic genus of Cambrian organism of uncertain affinity known from the Haikou area, from the Maoshoiatan mudstone member of the Chengjiang biota.- Morphology :...
was at least a close relative of Vetustovermis (but that treating it as a synonym was premature, given the poor preservation of the Vetustovermis type), placed it with Nectocaris
Nectocaris
Nectocaris pteryx is a species of possible cephalopod or arthropod affinity, known from the Middle Cambrian Burgess Shale.Nectocaris was a free-swimming, predatory or scavenging organism, possibly occupying a niche similar to the arrow worms...
in the clade
Clade
A clade is a group consisting of a species and all its descendants. In the terms of biological systematics, a clade is a single "branch" on the "tree of life". The idea that such a "natural group" of organisms should be grouped together and given a taxonomic name is central to biological...
Nectocarididae
Nectocarididae
Nectocarididae is a family of Cambrian animals of uncertain affinity....
.
Early press reports misspelled the genus name as Vetustodermis.
External links
- Strange fossil defies grouping. BBC report.