Lecythioscopa

Lecythioscopa
Temporal range: 505 Ma

Burgess Shale

Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Stem-group: Priapulida
Class: Archaeopriapulida
Genus: Lecythioscopa
Conway Morris, 1977[1]
Species
  • L. simplex (Walcott, 1931)

Lecythioscopa is a genus of probable archaeopriapulid known from two specimens from the Walcott Quarry from the Middle Cambrian Burgess Shale.[1]

Morphology

The specimens of Lectythioscopa are both missing their posterior portions, leaving a head, comparable to the proboscis of other priapulids, and long trunk, which is curved in both specimens. The animal was probably a burrower due to its external radial symmetry.[1]

History

The species was originally placed as Canadia simplex by Charles Walcott in a 1931 publication based on a single specimen.[2] Simon Conway Morris later identified what was previously considered a specimen of Canadia dubia as sharing similar features, placing them both under the name of Lecythioscopa simplex. [3][1]

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 Conway Morris, S (1977). "Fossil priapulid worms". Special papers in Palaeontology 20.
  2. Walcott, C.D. (1931). "Addenda to descriptions of Burgess shale fossils". Smithsonian Miscellaneous Collections 85: 1–42. doi:10.1086/623925.
  3. Walcott, C.D. (1911). "Middle Cambrian Annelids". Cambrian Geology and Paleontology 2: 109–142.
This article is issued from Wikipedia - version of the Sunday, June 21, 2015. The text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share Alike but additional terms may apply for the media files.