| Bomakellia Temporal range: 555 Ma |
|
|---|---|
| Bomakellia kelleri, reconstructed as a rangeomorph | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | incertae sedis |
| Phylum: | Rangeomorpha (?) |
| Genus: | Bomakellia |
| Species: | Bomakellia kelleri Fedonkin 1985[1] |
Bomakellia kelleri is an Ediacaran fossil organism represented by only one specimen approximately 9 cm long from the Ust'-Pinega Formation of the Syuzma River and it has similarity to Mialsemia semichatovi from Yorga Formation of the Ediacaran (Vendian) siliciclastic sediments exposed on the Zimnie Gory locality, White Sea of northern Russia and these rocks are dated 555 million year old.
It was originally classifed by Mikhail A. Fedonkin as belonging to the problematic Arthropod Class "Paratrilobita."[1] Indeed, a study by B. M. Waggoner even concluded that Bomakellia was a primitive anomalocarid and he went on to identify ridges in the cephalon as being eyes, making this creature the earliest known animal with sight.[2] But this has not reached acceptance and acknowledgement.[3][4]
Closer examination identified a tetraradial symmetry, and a frond-like morphology more reminiscent of Rangea – its current interpretation is as a rangeomorph frond, possibly closely related to the Chinese Paracharnia.[5]