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Alright lets get cambrian again lads
TOP TEN CHENGJIANG BIOTA SPECIES
TOP TEN CHENGJIANG BIOTA SPECIES
Today we're pulling from the early cambrian, from a shale bed dating to ~20 million years before the Burgess shale, the subject of my last thread.
They're even less derived, and you know what that means..
Wierder! More experimental! Squishier! Wormier!
They're even less derived, and you know what that means..
Wierder! More experimental! Squishier! Wormier!
10. Stromatoveris
They only conclusively proved this leaf-like creature was an animal in 2018. Dull. Moving on quickly
They only conclusively proved this leaf-like creature was an animal in 2018. Dull. Moving on quickly
9. Nectocaris
This is our first Squishy Boy!!
The funnel is not a proboscis, rather, it seems to have played a role in jet propulsion, allowing motion and gas exchange by ejecting a constant slow stream of water over the large internal gills.
4 inches long maximum
This is our first Squishy Boy!!
The funnel is not a proboscis, rather, it seems to have played a role in jet propulsion, allowing motion and gas exchange by ejecting a constant slow stream of water over the large internal gills.
4 inches long maximum
8. Amiskwia sinita
Another Squishy Boy, this phallic creature is only known from 2 specimens.
it was likely free-swimming, and those tentacles on the glans were positioned either side of a positively urethral mouth
Another Squishy Boy, this phallic creature is only known from 2 specimens.
it was likely free-swimming, and those tentacles on the glans were positioned either side of a positively urethral mouth
7. Facivermis
a 9-cm long worm with a pear-shaped prosterior that lived a largely sessile lifestyle, digging a tunnel and poking its' lengthy top half out to filter-feed using its' many appendages
I like him a lot. He's just Neat, to me. Look at the little head
a 9-cm long worm with a pear-shaped prosterior that lived a largely sessile lifestyle, digging a tunnel and poking its' lengthy top half out to filter-feed using its' many appendages
I like him a lot. He's just Neat, to me. Look at the little head
6. Chengjiangocaris
lit. 'the Chengjiang shrimp'
One specimen is notable for being so incredibly well-preserved that individual nerves are visible.
If you look at the images, you can see bead-like ganglia running down the central nerve cord
lit. 'the Chengjiang shrimp'
One specimen is notable for being so incredibly well-preserved that individual nerves are visible.
If you look at the images, you can see bead-like ganglia running down the central nerve cord
6. part 2
Each of these beads controls one pair of legs and is comprised of spindly fibres 5 thousandths of a mm in length.
Fluorescence microscopy showed that these are individual nerves, fossilised as carbon films.
A perfectly-preserved 520 million year old nervous system!!
Each of these beads controls one pair of legs and is comprised of spindly fibres 5 thousandths of a mm in length.
Fluorescence microscopy showed that these are individual nerves, fossilised as carbon films.
A perfectly-preserved 520 million year old nervous system!!
5. Diania cactiformis
'The walking cactus'
Segmented legs are the defining characteristic of arthropods, so this 6cm spikey wormy boy is likely one of the first ever true arthropods, one of the most basal members of the most diverse group of animals on the planet!
'The walking cactus'
Segmented legs are the defining characteristic of arthropods, so this 6cm spikey wormy boy is likely one of the first ever true arthropods, one of the most basal members of the most diverse group of animals on the planet!
4. Yunnanozoon lividium
lit. 'The livid animal of yunnan'
not sure why this cute little fella is so angry considering that it is thought of as the first known hemichordate, making it extremely significant to like 18 dweebs
lit. 'The livid animal of yunnan'
not sure why this cute little fella is so angry considering that it is thought of as the first known hemichordate, making it extremely significant to like 18 dweebs
3. Rotadiscus
This top three is a high quality three, in my opinion.
Rotadiscus is a flattened disc with a donut-shaped gut. One of the two nubbins was a mouth, with lophophores (branched tentacles) on either side. The second nubbin was an anus.
This top three is a high quality three, in my opinion.
Rotadiscus is a flattened disc with a donut-shaped gut. One of the two nubbins was a mouth, with lophophores (branched tentacles) on either side. The second nubbin was an anus.
2. Leanchoilia
I love this guy's whip-like feelers. I love his little upturned horn at the front of his face. I love the way he holds his front appendages.
just good
I love this guy's whip-like feelers. I love his little upturned horn at the front of his face. I love the way he holds his front appendages.
just good
1. Omnidens amplus
Lit. "Large all-tooth"
worm! big worm! Biggest Worm!
This colossal lobopodian was the largest cambrian predator and objectively ate anomalocarids for breakfast. I love him.
He's so good.
Big Predatory Worm
the two illustrations here are by @Prehistorica_CM
Lit. "Large all-tooth"
worm! big worm! Biggest Worm!
This colossal lobopodian was the largest cambrian predator and objectively ate anomalocarids for breakfast. I love him.
He's so good.
Big Predatory Worm
the two illustrations here are by @Prehistorica_CM
This guy actually knocks Aegirocassis off his pedestal, to me.
he is only known through his terrifying mouth, with circlets of teeth like a cutting head.
this paper proposed reconstructing it as a massive lobopodian, based on similarites to pambdelurion
http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/pala.12256
he is only known through his terrifying mouth, with circlets of teeth like a cutting head.
this paper proposed reconstructing it as a massive lobopodian, based on similarites to pambdelurion
http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/pala.12256
