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- Arvestål, Emma, et al.
(author)
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A new species of Cyrtograptus (Graptoloidea) from the Llandovery of Västergötland (Sweden)
- 2011
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In: The 2nd Wiman Meeting. - Uppsala. ; , s. 2-2
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Conference paper (peer-reviewed)abstract
- A new species of the genus Cyrtograptus from the late Llandovery of southern Sweden (Västergötland) is presented. The new species has been found near the top of Kinnekulle (Högkullen) in the Retiolites Shales, which are part of the lapworthi zone (late Telychian). Although it resembles the coeval C. lapworthi in appearance, a detailed comparison of the type material of C. lapworthi revealed distinct differences: the new species is more openly coiled in the proximal part, has a larger Two Thecae Repeat Distance (2TRD), and, most significantly, bears a second order cladium. Second order cladia are unknown from C. lapworthi. The new species is also compared with other species of Cyrtograptus that are characterized by second order cladia, such as the cotemporaneous C. laqueus and the slightly younger C. insectus (insectus zone; latest Telychian). However, C. laqueus differs from the new species in having a lower number of thecae separating the cladia, and also by the appearance of its proximal part, which forms a loop by crossing its own main stipe. C. insectus differs by having wider spaced cladia and a stronger coiled proximal part. Furthermore, the need of a redefinition of C. lapworthi is highlighted, due to the large morphological variations within this species.
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- Arvestål, Emma, et al.
(author)
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Cyrtograptids from the Telychian (upper Llandovery) of Kinnekulle Mountain, southern Sweden
- 2013
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In: GFF. - : Informa UK Limited. - 1103-5897 .- 2000-0863. ; 135:1, s. 45-56
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- The late Llandovery graptolite fauna of the Retiolites Shales on Kinnekulle Mountain in the province of Västergötland has long been known but never illustrated or studied in detail. New collections of graptolites from an interval at the very top of the exposed succession confirm previous reports of cyrtograptids, which make the shales on Kinnekulle the youngest preserved Palaeozoic rocks in the area. The co-occurrence of Oktavites spiralis and Cyrtograptus lapworthi constrains the strata to the lower lapworthi Biozone of the upper Telychian. The associated graptolite fauna comprises numerous monograptids and Retiolites angustidens as well as Cyrtograptus kinnekullensis n. sp., characterised by its open coiling and the presence of a second-order cladium on the second thecal cladium. This early occurrence of a cyrtograptid species with a second-order cladium on Baltica matches evolutionary patterns observed in Laurentia, suggesting that the ability to grow cladia of both first and higher order evolved approximately, synchronously and at the very beginning of cyrtograptid evolution.
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- Bornsäter Mellbin, Barbro, et al.
(author)
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Linguliform brachiopods from the terminal Cambrian to lower Ordovician Tiñu section, Mexico
- 2007
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In: 51st Palaeontological Association Annual Meeting. ; , s. 64-
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Conference paper (other academic/artistic)abstract
- The Tiñu Formation of Oaxaca State (Mexico) is the only fossiliferous lower Palaeozoic unit between the Laurentian platform in northwest Mexico and Gondwanan successions in Andean South America. It has recently been shown that the Tiñu section is a condensed passive margin succession with Gondwanan character. The formation is divided into two members, i.e., the uppermost Cambrian Yudachica Member, which rests nonconformably on middle Proterozoic basement, and the Lower Ordovician (Tremadoc) Río Salinas Member. The formation has been studied with respect to its depositional environments and its fossil content of trilobites and conodonts, which both provide excellent biostratigraphical control for the formation. Linguliform brachiopods of twelve limestone horizons of the Tiñu Formation have been studied. The fauna comprises about five acrotretid taxa, a new siphonotretid species and a few linguloid fragments. Detailed investigations on taxonomy and stratigraphic distribution of the taxa are currently in progress. An assessment of the changes in brachiopod associations across the Cambrian-Ordovician boundary and in relation to the described environmental changes occurring throughout the formation is one of the main points of the investigation.
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- Butler, Aodhán D., 1986-
(author)
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Decoding the fossil record of early lophophorates : Systematics and phylogeny of problematic Cambrian Lophotrochozoa
- 2015
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Doctoral thesis (other academic/artistic)abstract
- The evolutionary origins of animal phyla are intimately linked with the Cambrian explosion, a period of radical ecological and evolutionary innovation that begins approximately 540 Mya and continues for some 20 million years, during which most major animal groups appear. Lophotrochozoa, a major group of protostome animals that includes molluscs, annelids and brachiopods, represent a significant component of the oldest known fossil records of biomineralised animals, as disclosed by the enigmatic ‘small shelly fossil’ faunas of the early Cambrian. Determining the affinities of these scleritome taxa is highly informative for examining Cambrian evolutionary patterns, since many are supposed stem-group Lophotrochozoa. The main focus of this thesis pertained to the stem-group of the Brachiopoda, a highly diverse and important clade of suspension feeding animals in the Palaeozoic era, which are still extant but with only with a fraction of past diversity. Major findings include adding support for tommotiid affinity as stem-group lophophorates. Determining morphological character homologies vital to reconstructing the brachiopod stem-group was achieved by comparing Cambrian Lagerstätten with the widespread biomineralised record of Cambrian stem-brachiopods and small shelly fossils. Polarising character changes associated with the putative transition from scleritome organisms to crown-group brachiopods was furthered by the description of an enigmatic agglutinated tubular lophophorate Yuganotheca elegans from the Chengjiang Lagerstätte, China, which possesses an unusual combination of phoronid, brachiopod and tommotiid characters. These efforts were furthered by the use of X-ray tomographic techniques that revealed novel anatomical features, including exceptionally preserved setae in the tommotiid Micrina. The evidence for a common origin of columnar brachiopod shell structures in the tommotiids is suggested and critically examined. Enigmatic and problematic early and middle Cambrian lophotrochozoans are newly described or re-described in light of new evidence, namely: the stem-brachiopod Mickwitzia occidens Walcott from the Indian Springs Lagerstätte, Nevada; a putative stem-group entoproct Cotyledion tylodes Luo and Hu from Chengjiang, China; a new enigmatic family of rhynchonelliform brachiopods exemplified by the newly described Tomteluva perturbata from the Stephen Formation, Canada; and the tommotiid Micrina etheridgei (Tate) from the Flinders Ranges, South Australia. Cladistic analyses of fossil morphological data supports a monophyletic Brachiopoda.
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- Butler, Aodhán D., 1986-
(author)
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Exceptionally Preserved Cambrian Lophotrochozoa : Taxonomy, Systematics and Taphonomy of Chengjiang and Indian Springs Lophophorates
- 2014
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Licentiate thesis (other academic/artistic)abstract
- The origin and evolution of Lophotrochozoa can be traced to the plethora of lower Cambrian scleritome taxa. We aim to determine the character suites linking these stem-Lophotrochozoa to their extant crown relatives, in particular the small shelly tommotiids and the stem-group brachiopods. Tracing the origin of morphological characters from these fossils informs the evolution and construction of lophotrochozoan body plans associated with the Cambrian Explosion. This is achieved by comparing records of exceptional preservation, most conspicuously Burgess Shale type Lagerstätten with more widespread Cambrian stem-brachiopods and small shelly fossils with their purported extant relatives, for example. Determining morphological character homologies is crucial to reconstructing the brachiopod stem-group and in polarising character changes associated with the putative transition from scleritome organisms to crown-group brachiopods. In this thesis arguments for a common origin of specific shell structures and exceptionally preserved soft-tissues are investigated. New records of enigmatic stem-group lophotrochozoans are described from two localities, the Indian Springs and Chengjiang Lagerstätte. Comprising the stem-brachiopod Mickwitzia cf. occidens, a putative stem-group entoproct Cotyledion tylodes and an enigmatic agglutinated tubular lophophorate possessing an unusual combination of phoronid, brachiopod and tommotiid characters, Yuganotheca elegans gen. et sp. nov. The interplay of bauplan, microbial activity and environmental factors resulting in such incidences of exceptional soft tissue preservation is also examined critically. Consequently, the evolution of through-gut bearing bilaterians is suggested as the reason for why the Cambrian hosts such a plethora of Lagerstätten. The closure of this taphonomic window is then associated with increased bioturbation following the Cambrian substrate revolution.
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