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Article: A Tremadocian (Early Ordovician) palaeoscolecidan worm from graptolitic shales in Hunan Province, South China

Publication: Palaeontology
Volume: 57
Part: 3
Publication Date: May 2014
Page(s): 657 671
Author(s): <p>Wenhui Wang, Lucy A. Muir, Joseph P. Botting, Hongzhen Feng, Thomas Servais and Lixia Li</p>
Addition Information

How to Cite

WANG, W., MUIR, L.A., BOTTING, J.P., FENG, H., SERVAIS, T., LI, L., 2014, A Tremadocian (Early Ordovician) palaeoscolecidan worm from graptolitic shales in Hunan Province, South China. Palaeontology57, 3, 657–671. doi: 10.1111/pala.12083

Author Information

  • Wenhui Wang - School of Earth Sciences and Engineering, Nanjing University, Nanjing, China (email: wwhever@126.com)
  • Wenhui Wang - State Key Laboratory of Palaeobiology and Stratigraphy, Key Laboratory of Economic Stratigraphy and Palaeogeography, Nanjing Institute of Geology and Palaeontology, Nanjing, China
  • Lucy A. Muir - State Key Laboratory of Palaeobiology and Stratigraphy, Key Laboratory of Economic Stratigraphy and Palaeogeography, Nanjing Institute of Geology and Palaeontology, Nanjing, China (email: ucy@asoldasthehills.org)
  • Joseph P. Botting - State Key Laboratory of Palaeobiology and Stratigraphy, Key Laboratory of Economic Stratigraphy and Palaeogeography, Nanjing Institute of Geology and Palaeontology, Nanjing, China (email: acutipuerilis@yahoo.co.uk)
  • Hongzhen Feng, - School of Earth Sciences and Engineering, Nanjing University, Nanjing, China (email: feng.h.zh@163.com)
  • Thomas Servais - Géosystèmes, UMR 8217 du CNRS, Université Lille 1, Avenue Paul Langevin, Villeneuve d'Ascq, France (email: thomas.servais@univ-lille1.fr)
  • Lixia Li - School of Earth Sciences and Engineering, Nanjing University, Nanjing, China (email: lilixia1015@gmail.com)

Funded By

National Natural Science Foundation of China. Grant Numbers: 41230208, 41372017, 41172012
CNRS, Universities of Lyon1 and Lille1

Online Version Hosted By

Wiley Online Library
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Abstract

A new locality exposing Tremadocian (Early Ordovician) graptolitic shales in Hunan Province, South China, has yielded an exceptionally well-preserved annulated worm. This palaeoscolecidan is described as Waflascolex changdensis gen. et sp. nov. and reveals extremely fine detail of the cuticle organization and plating array. The new taxon is characterized by three critical characters: incomplete plate rows that occur only on the posterior end of the worm (except in the posterior-most area) and do not extend over the entire circumference or along the entire trunk; a regular rhomboidal array of platelets around intercalations; and reduced cuticular organization at the posterior termination. The unique cuticular organization and platelet ornamentation in the new taxon offer insight into functional differentiation of plates in the scleritome. Palaeoscolecid distribution through the early Palaeozoic is reviewed, showing that the worms were widespread in the Cambrian and Ordovician, but became more restricted during the Silurian. Ordovician palaeoscolecidans are diverse in scleritome architecture, and strikingly different from Cambrian taxa, indicating that this group diversified as part of the Great Ordovician Biodiversification Event.

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