Gaoloufangchaeta

Gaoloufangchaeta bifurcus; Temporal range: Stage 4 PreꞒ Ꞓ O S D C P T J K Pg N
	Holotype specimen
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Annelida
Clade:	Pleistoannelida
Subclass:	Errantia
Genus:	† Gaoloufangchaeta ; Zhao, Li & Selden, 2023
Species:	†G. bifurcus
Binomial name
	†Gaoloufangchaeta bifurcus; Zhao, Li & Selden, 2023

Last updated August 15, 2025

Gaoloufangchaeta is an extinct genus of polychaete worms from the Cambrian (Stage 4) Wulongqing Formation of China.^[1] The type species is G. bifurcus. It may be a member of the Errantia annelids, implying members of the Annelida may have diverged from each other before the Cambrian. This dovetails with molecular studies recovering an Ediacaran origin of annelids.^[2]

Gaoloufangchaeta had bicellular eyes and possible nuchal organs, meaning it developed strong sensory abilities.^[1]

References

1 2 Zhao, Jun; Li, Yujing; Selden, Paul A. (2023-04-26). "A new primitive polychaete with eyes from the lower Cambrian Guanshan biota of Yunnan Province, China". Frontiers in Ecology and Evolution. 11. Bibcode:2023FrEEv..1128070Z. doi: 10.3389/fevo.2023.1128070 . ISSN 2296-701X.
↑ Yang, Xiaoyu; Aguado, M. Teresa; Helm, Conrad; Zhang, Zhiqian; Bleidorn, Christoph (2024-04-10). "New fossil of Gaoloufangchaeta advances the origin of Errantia (Annelida) to the early Cambrian". Royal Society Open Science. 11 (4). Bibcode:2024RSOS...1131580Y. doi:10.1098/rsos.231580. ISSN 2054-5703. PMC 11004674 . PMID 38601033.

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[Zhao23-1] 1 2 Zhao, Jun; Li, Yujing; Selden, Paul A. (2023-04-26). "A new primitive polychaete with eyes from the lower Cambrian Guanshan biota of Yunnan Province, China". Frontiers in Ecology and Evolution. 11. Bibcode:2023FrEEv..1128070Z. doi: 10.3389/fevo.2023.1128070 . ISSN 2296-701X.

[2] Yang, Xiaoyu; Aguado, M. Teresa; Helm, Conrad; Zhang, Zhiqian; Bleidorn, Christoph (2024-04-10). "New fossil of Gaoloufangchaeta advances the origin of Errantia (Annelida) to the early Cambrian". Royal Society Open Science. 11 (4). Bibcode:2024RSOS...1131580Y. doi:10.1098/rsos.231580. ISSN 2054-5703. PMC 11004674 . PMID 38601033.

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