REINTERPRETATION OF A CONULARIID-LIKE FOSSIL FROM THE VENDIAN OF RUSSIA |
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| Authors: | HEYO VAN ITEN,JULIANA DE MORAES LEME&dagger ,SABRINA COELHO RODRIGUES&dagger , MARCELLO GUIMARÃ ES SIMÕ ES&Dagger |
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| Affiliation: | Department of Geology, Hanover College, Hanover, IN 47243, USA;e-mail:; Department of Sedimentary and Environmental Geology, Graduate Program in Sedimentary Geology, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil;e-mail: ,; Department of Zoology, Laboratory of Paleozoology, São Paulo State University, São Paulo, Brazil;e-mail: |
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| Abstract: | Abstract: Vendoconularia triradiata Ivantsov and Fedonkin, recently described from Vendian (latest Proterozoic) strata of Russia, has been interpreted as a six-sided conulariid cnidarian. However, comparison of published illustrations of V . triradiata with Palaeozoic conulariids suggests that certain key features of the anatomy of V . triradiata should be reinterpreted. Specifically, features previously homologized with the corners of conulariid thecae may actually be homologous to the conulariid midlines. Under this new interpretation, the corners of the Vendoconularia theca were sulcate, and the midline of each face was non-sulcate and flanked by a pair of low internal carinae. This alternative set of hypotheses of homology makes the argument for a conulariid affinity for Vendoconularia stronger. |
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| Keywords: | Vendoconularia conulariids scyphozoans cnidarians Vendian homology |
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