Parapeytoia
yunnanensis
Phylum Uncertain,
Anomalocarididae (?)
Geological
Age: Early Cambrian (~525 million years ago)
Size (25.4
mm = 1 inch): 46 mm long, 18 mm across on a 70 mm by 63 mm matrix
Fossil
Site: Maotianshan Shales of Chengjiang, Quiongzhusi Section, Yu’anshan
Member, Heilinpu Formation, Mao Tian Hill, Yuxi, Chengjiang County, Yunnan
Province, China
Code: CJF1255
Price: $995.00
- sold
Description:
The discovery of the Chengjiang Biota by Hou Xian-guang in 1984
opened a window onto a remarkable array of lifeforms from what is
termed the Cambrian Explosion. The diversity of soft-tissue fossils
is astonishing: algae, medusiforms, sponges, priapulids, annelid-like
worms, echinoderms, arthropods (including trilobites), hemichordates,
chordates, and the first agnathan fish make up just a small fraction
of the total.
Numerous problematic forms are known as well, some of which may
have represented failed attempts at diversity that did not persist
to the present day.
This
is a near complete example of Parapeytoia yunnanensis, believed
to be a relative of the “Terror Of The Cambrian”, Anomalocaris
saron (see interpretive drawing). The members of this group of enigmatic
creatures are known from Asia, Australia, Europe, and North America,
and are thought by many to be closely allied with the Arthropoda,
as position not held by all researchers. This type is known from
mostly fragmentary remains, but the backward-facing mouth and drastically
different morphology of the grasping appendages have led some researchers
to propose that Parapeytoia is not an Alomalocarid, but rather more
closely allied with the great appendage arthropods such as Haikoucaris
(see my other offerings). This one comes from the most famous location
of all, Maotianshan (Mao Tian Hill), site of the discovery of the
Chengjiang Biota by Hou Xian-guang in 1984.
Also
see: Chengjiang
Biota Fauna List Chengjiang
Fossils
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