Kerygmachela

Kerygmachela kierkegaardi was a gilled lobopodian from the Buen Formation (Cambrian Stage 3) of the Sirius Passet Lagerstätte, in northern Greenland. Its anatomy strongly suggests that it, along with its relative Pambdelurion whittingtoni, was a close relative of anomalocaridids (radiodont) and euarthropods.[2][1] The specific name, "kierkegaardi" honors Danish philosopher Søren Kierkegaard.[2][3]

Kerygmachela
Temporal range: Cambrian Stage 3
Reconstruction of Kerygmachela kierkegaardi based on later observation of 2018.[1]
Former reconstruction of Kerygmachela kierkegaardi, showing a pair of cerci.
Scientific classification
Kingdom:
Animalia
Phylum:
Arthropoda
Class:
†Dinocaridida
Genus:
†Kerygmachela
Budd, 1993
Species:
†K. kierkegaardi
Part of a series on
The Cambrian explosion
Fossil localities
Key organisms
Ediacaran biota
Burgess-type
Small shelly fauna
Evolutionary concepts
Trends
Themes

It had a pair of well-developed frontal appendages that had long spines. These limbs correspond to the frontal appendages of anomalocaridids. A pair of sessile eyes was located near the base of these appendages.[1] A small anterior-facing mouth was located below its head and bore a pair of stylet-like structures.[1] The body had 11 segments indicated by 4 turberculates on each of them, associated with 11 pairs of lateral swimming lobes with a gill-like structure,[2] along with 11 pairs of small legs (lobopods) at the lobe' bases.[2] The body ends with a single tail spine[1] which was formerly thought to be a pair of cerci.[2][4] It also had a well-developed pharynx[1] and arthropod-like gut glands.[5]

The spiny frontal appendages suggests that it may have been a predator; however, fossils indicate a total size of approximately 175 mm and, with a relatively small mouth, indicated that it would have been restricted to very small prey.

References
  1. Park, Tae-Yoon S.; Kihm, Ji-Hoon; Woo, Jusun; Park, Changkun; Lee, Won Young; Smith, M. Paul; Harper, David A. T.; Young, Fletcher; Nielsen, Arne T.; Vinther, Jakob (2018-03-09). "Brain and eyes of Kerygmachela reveal protocerebral ancestry of the panarthropod head". Nature Communications. 9 (1): 1019. doi:10.1038/s41467-018-03464-w. ISSN 2041-1723. PMC 5844904. PMID 29523785.
  2. Budd, Graham E. (1993), "A Cambrian gilled lobopod from Greenland", Nature, 364 (6439): 709–711, doi:10.1038/364709a0
  3. Park, Tae-Yoon S.; Kihm, Ji-Hoon; Woo, Jusun; Park, Changkun; Lee, Won Young; Smith, M. Paul; Harper, David A. T.; Young, Fletcher; Nielsen, Arne T. (2018-03-09). "Brain and eyes of Kerygmachela reveal protocerebral ancestry of the panarthropod head". Nature Communications. 9 (1): 1019. doi:10.1038/s41467-018-03464-w. ISSN 2041-1723. PMC 5844904. PMID 29523785.
  4. Leanchoilia guts and the interpretation of three-dimensional structures in Burgess Shale-type fossils, Paleobiology
  5. Vannier, Jean; Liu, Jianni; Lerosey-Aubril, Rudy; Vinther, Jakob; Daley, Allison C. (2014-05-02). "Sophisticated digestive systems in early arthropods". Nature Communications. 5 (1): 1–9. doi:10.1038/ncomms4641. ISSN 2041-1723. PMID 24785191.

Further reading
  • Budd, G. E. (1999), "The morphology and phylogenetic significance of Kerygmachela kierkegaardi Budd (Buen Formation, Lower Cambrian, N Greenland)", Transactions of the Royal Society of Edinburgh, 89 (4): 249–290, doi:10.1017/S0263593300002418


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