A Silurian ophiuroid with soft tissue preservation
File(s)
Published version
Author(s)
Type
Journal Article
Abstract
Most Palaeozoic brittle stars lack the fused arm ossicles (vertebrae) that facilitate the remarkable mode of walking that characterizes living forms. Here we describe a stem ophiuroid from the Herefordshire Lagerstätte (Silurian, Wenlock Series) which is remarkable in preserving the body cavity uncompacted and long tube feet. We assign the specimen to the order Oegophiurida. The morphology of the arms and attitude of the specimen suggest that locomotion may have been achieved by arm propulsion combined with podial walking. This ophiuroid increases the diversity of echinoderm higher taxa with preserved soft parts represented in the Herefordshire Lagerstätte.
Date Issued
2021-11-01
Date Acceptance
2021-06-06
Citation
Papers in Palaeontology, 2021, 7 (4), pp.2041-2047
ISSN
2056-2802
Publisher
Wiley
Start Page
2041
End Page
2047
Journal / Book Title
Papers in Palaeontology
Volume
7
Issue
4
Copyright Statement
© 2021 The Authors.
Papers in Palaeontology published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of The Palaeontological Association. This is an open access article under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License,
which permits use, distribution and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
Papers in Palaeontology published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of The Palaeontological Association. This is an open access article under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License,
which permits use, distribution and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
License URL
Publication Status
Published
Date Publish Online
2021-07-18