Banffiidae

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Banffiidae
Temporal range: about 518–501  Ma
Heteromorphus longicaudatus.jpg
Banffia constricta.JPG
Banffia episoma KUMIP 314017.jpg
Fossils and reconstructions of banffiids
(with much smaller non-banffiid "Form A" above H. confusus)
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Clade?:† Vetulicolia
Class:† Banffozoa
Order:† Banffiata
Family:† Banffiidae
Caron, 2006
Type genus
† Banffia
Walcott 1911
Genera

Banfiidae is a family of extinct banffozoan animals from North America and China. The family name is sometimes spelt Banffidae. [1] [2] It includes Banffia , Heteromorphus , and possibly Skeemella . [2] The family may be paraphyletic. The family may be paraphyletic. [3] A Heteromorphus-like dwarf "Form A" is allied with this group at the class level, but has not been formally described or assigned to this family. [4]

Contents

Description

Banffiids have a bipartite body with a smooth anterior part that may or may not have a lateral groove, and a posterior part with many segments. Lateral pouches have not been seen, although some questions remain regarding their possible presence in Skeemella. The entire body is twisted dextrally (from an anterior view). [1] Gut diverticula may be present, but the structures interpreted as such could alternatively be a circulatory system. [5] The anus is terminal, [6] despite initial reports to the contrary in Heteromorphus. [7]

Distribution

Banffiids have been found across multiple paleocontienents, with Heteromporphus found in the Chengjiang lagerstatte of South China while Banffia has been found in the Burgess Shale and Spence Shale of western Laurentia. [2] Skeemella has been found in the Pierson Cove and Marjum Formations, both above the Wheeler Shale and also in western Laurentia. [8]

Taxonomy

The family Banffiidae and the class Banffozoa were erected in a paper published in 2006, [9] in order to contain Banffia constricta in a redescription of that species, with Heteromorphus only mentioned as a possible home outside of Banffiidae for Banffia confusa . [10] A comprehensive phylogenetic revision in 2007 expanded Banffozoa to encompass the proposed class Heteromorphida (which had excluded Banffia), and placed Heteromorphus in the Banffiidae. It tentatively placed Skeemella outside of Banffiidae and the newly-erected order Banffiata, but under Banffozoa. [1] "Form A", which had been included in the Heteromorphida, [4] was not mentioned or reassigned. [1] Two later sources have placed Skemella in Banffiidae while continuing to note doubts as to whether it is actually a vetulicolian. [2] [8]

Banffozoans have been recognized as "rather different from vetulicolians proper," [11] and proposed to be more closely related to protostomes. [12] However, multiple sources treat Banffozoa as part of Vetulicolia. [1] [2] [8]

Cladograms

A 2024 study has found the Banffiidae to form the earliest part of the paraphyletic stem-chordate evolutionary grade, as shown in this simplified cladogram: [13]

Chordata
(total group)
"Banffiidae"
"Banffiidae" ?

An earlier study in 2014 placed vetulicolians as the sister-group of tunicates, but was unable to resolve any relationships among vetulicolians as a group: [14]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Vetulicolia</span> Extinct Cambrian group of animals

Vetulicolia is a group of bilaterian marine animals encompassing several extinct species from the Cambrian, and possibly Ediacaran, periods. As of 2023, the majority of workers favor placing Vetulicolians in the stem group of the Chordata, but some continue to favor a more crownward placement as a sister group to the Tunicata. It was initially erected as a monophyletic clade with the rank of phylum in 2001, with subsequent work supporting its monophyly. However, more recent research suggests that vetulicolians may be paraphyletic and form a basal evolutionary grade of stem chordates.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Maotianshan Shales</span> Series of Early Cambrian deposits in the Chiungchussu Formation in China

The Maotianshan Shales (帽天山页岩) are a series of Early Cambrian sedimentary deposits in the Chiungchussu Formation, famous for their Konservat Lagerstätten, deposits known for the exceptional preservation of fossilized organisms or traces. The Maotianshan Shales form one of some forty Cambrian fossil locations worldwide exhibiting exquisite preservation of rarely preserved, non-mineralized soft tissue, comparable to the fossils of the Burgess Shale of British Columbia, Canada. They take their name from Maotianshan Hill in Chengjiang County, Yunnan Province, China.

<i>Yunnanozoon</i> Cambrian fossil chordate

Yunnanozoon lividum is an extinct species of bilaterian animal from the Lower Cambrian Chengjiang biota of Yunnan province, China. Its affinities have been long the subject of controversy.

<i>Vetulicola</i> Fossil genus of marine animal

Vetulicola is an extinct genus of marine animal discovered from the Cambrian of China. It is the eponymous member of the enigmatic phylum Vetulicolia, which is of uncertain affinities but may belong to the deuterostomes. The name was derived from Vetulicola cuneata, the first species described by Hou Xian-guang in 1987 from the Lower Cambrian Chiungchussu Formation in Chengjiang, China.

<i>Didazoon</i> Cambrian age animal

Didazoon haoae is an extinct species of vetulicolid vetulicolian described by Shu, et al. based on fossils found in the Qiongzhusi (Chiungchussu) Formation, Yu'anshan Member, Lower Cambrian, in the Dabanqiao area (Kunming), about 60 km northwest of Chengjiang, China.

<i>Pomatrum</i> Cambrian age animal

Pomatrum is an extinct vetulicolian, the senior synonym of Xidazoon; the latter taxon was described by Shu, et al. (1999) based on fossils found in the Qiongzhusi (Chiungchussu) Formation, Yu'anshan Member, Lower Cambrian, Haikou, (Kunming), about 50 km west of Chengjiang, China.

<i>Banffia</i> Extinct genus of Cambrian organisms

Banffia is a genus of animals described from Middle Cambrian fossils. The genus commemorates Banff, Alberta, near where the first fossil specimens were discovered. Its placement in higher taxa is controversial, with it mostly being considered to be a member of the enigmatic phylum Vetulicolia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Vetulicolidae</span> Extinct Cambrian family of vetulicolian animals

Vetulicolidae is a vetulicolian family from the Cambrian Stage 3 Maotianshan Shale and Sirius Passet Lagerstätte that consists of Vetulicola, Beidazoon, and Ooedigera. It is distinguished from the Didazoonidae by a harder body wall and the lack of an oral disc.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Didazoonidae</span> Extinct Cambrian family of vetulicolid animals

Didazoonidae is a vetulicolian family within the order Vetulicolata. It is charaterized by a relatively thin-walled, non-biomineralized body and a large, round anterior opening surrounded by an oral disc. It may be paraphyletic, even if the phylum Vetulicolia is monophyletic.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Banffozoa</span> Extinct Cambrian group of marine animals

Banffozoa is an extinct class of bilaterians. Most workers place it in the Vetulicolia, but the protostome-like features of some members have motivated ongoing debate. Banffozoa consists of the order Banffiata as well as a dwarf "Form A" that has not been formally described or named. Skeemella has been placed incertae sedis in this class, but has more recently been placed with the Banffiidae. Banffozoa may be paraphyletic even if Vetulicolia is monophyletic.

<i>Yuyuanozoon</i> Cambrian genus of animals

Yuyuanozoon magnificissimi, from the Cambrian Stage 3 Chengjiang lagerstatte, is the largest known vetulicolian, with specimens up to 20 cm in length compared to 5–14 cm for other vetulicolian species.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Palaeoscolecid</span> Extinct class of worms

The palaeoscolecids are a group of extinct ecdysozoan worms resembling armoured priapulids. They are known from the Lower Cambrian to the lower Ludfordian ; they are mainly found as disarticulated sclerites, but are also preserved in many of the Cambrian lagerstätten. They take their name from the typifying genus Palaeoscolex. Other genera include Cricocosmia from the Lower Cambrian Chengjiang biota. Their taxonomic affinities within Ecdysozoa have been the subject of debate.

<i>Vetulicola cuneata</i> Extinct species of animal

Vetulicola cuneata is a species of extinct marine animal from the Early Cambrian Chengjiang biota of China. It was described by Hou Xian-guang in 1987 from the Lower Cambrian Chiungchussu Formation, and became the first animal under an eponymous phylum Vetulicolia.

<i>Ooedigera</i> Ovoid Cambrian animal with a bulbous tail

Ooedigera peeli is an extinct vetulicolian from the Early Cambrian of North Greenland. The front body was flattened horizontally, oval-shaped, likely bearing a reticulated or anastomosing pattern, and had 5 evenly-spaced gill pouches along the midline. The tail was also bulbous and flattened horizontally, but was divided into 7 plates connected by flexible membranes, allowing movement. Ooedigera likely swam by moving side-to-side like a fish. It may have lived in an oxygen minimum zone alongside several predators in an ecosystem based on chemosynthetic microbial mats, and was possibly a deposit or filter feeder living near the seafloor.

<i>Skeemella</i> Extinct genus of bilaterians

Skeemella is a genus of elongate animal from the Middle Cambrian Wheeler Shale and Marjum lagerstätte of Utah. It has been classified with the banffozoan vetulicolians.

<i>Cotyledion</i> Extinct genus of filter-feeders

Cotyledion tylodes is an extinct, stalked filter-feeder known from the Chengjiang lagerstatten. The living animal reached a couple of centimetres in height, and bore a loose scleritome of ovoid sclerites. Its interpretation has been controversial, but it is currently thought to be a member of the Entoprocta stem group.

<i>Nesonektris</i> Extinct genus of Cambrian Era Chordate

Nesonektris aldridgei is an extinct vetulicolian from the Late Botomian-aged Emu Bay Shale Lagerstätte in Kangaroo Island, Australia. So far, it is the fourth described vetulicolian that is not restricted to the Maotianshan Shales.

<i>Beidazoon</i> Extinct species of Cambrian organism

Beidazoon venustum is a marine deuterostome from the group Vetulicolia. It originates from the lower Cambrian Chengjiang biota of Yunnan Province, China, and was discovered in 2005. It is known as the smallest described vetulicolian, and for its surface being covered in many small nodes.

<i>Shenzianyuloma</i> Species of vetulicolian invertebrate

Shenzianyuloma is an extinct genus of vetulicolian represented by a single species, Shenzianyuloma yunnanense, from the Maotianshan Shale during Stage 3 of the Cambrian period. It is notable for having a compact body shape akin to that of an angelfish. It's exact phylogenetic position is unclear, and it was not included in a 2024 phylogenetic analysis of vetulicolians.

<i>Heteromorphus</i> Extinct genus of Cambrian organisms

Heteromorphus is an extinct genus of banffiid from the lower Cambrian Chengjiang lagerstatte. It contains one broadly accepted species, Heteromorphus confusus, as well as a proposed junior synonym, Heteromorphus longicaudatus that may prove to be a separate species as additional specimens are examined. A much smaller species labeled "Form A" is allied with Heteromorphus at the class level but has not been formally described or assigned to Heteromorphus itself.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 Aldridge et al. 2007 , pp. 147–150
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 Li et al. 2018 , pp. 1083–1084
  3. ↑ Mussini et al. 2024 , pp. 6–7
  4. 1 2 Shu 2005 , p. 2349
  5. ↑ Caron 2006 , p. 104
  6. ↑ Hou et al. 2017 , p. 272
  7. ↑ Aldridge et al. 2007 , pp. 152
  8. 1 2 3 Kimmig, Leibach & Lieberman 2020
  9. ↑ "†family Banffiidae Caron 2006". Paleobiology Database. Retrieved 2024-12-17.
  10. ↑ Caron 2006 , pp. 98–99
  11. ↑ Gee 2018 , p. 188
  12. ↑ Caron 2006 , p. 109
  13. ↑ Mussini et al. 2024 , pp. 6–7(Note: The cladogram is simplified using the definition of Vetulicolidae from Li et al. 2018, cited elsewhere on this page)
  14. ↑ García-Bellido et al. 2014 , p. 9

Works cited

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