Gehlingia

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Gehlingia
Temporal range: Ediacaran
Gehling dibrachida enigma from Ediacaran.jpg
Artists reconstruction of Gehlingia dibrachida (note deep groove and tubular structures). Reconstruction from McMenamin and McMenamin, 1994, Hypersea: Life on Land modified by Heather Winkelmann.
Scientific classification Red Pencil Icon.png
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: incertae sedis
Genus: Gehlingia
McMenamin, 1998
Species:
G. dibrachida
Binomial name
Gehlingia dibrachida
McMenamin, 1998

Gehlingia dibrachida is a species of enigmatic Ediacaran organism from South Australia described in 1998. Gehlingia has been described as having many characteristics of petalonamids, although it has been classified as a rather close relative of the Tribrachidium . [1] The overall shape of Gehlingia contradicts this affinity, however, with its shape being a more Bilaterally symmetrical one although the basic structure similar to that of Tribrachidium appears in Gehlingia as separate branches extending into bifurcating minor branches [1] along with "thumb structures" that are apparent in Tribrachidium in the form of side bulges on an axis. [2]

Contents

Etymology

The name of the genus, "Gehlingia", is in honour of the Australian palaeontologist specialising in Ediacaran fossils, James G. Gehling [2] .

Description

Gehlingia dibrachida represents a frond-like bilaterally symmetric organism with two fronds with each half of them having a swollen axis on an inner edge. The organism's axis bifurcated once and bifurcates towards the outer edge of its two fronds. [3] Similar deformations occur in both Tribrachidium and Gehlingia some notable ones being delaying of the bifurcation and tubular structures being visible between the striae. A number of tubular structures emanate from the axis and are often either straight or curved [3] . A deep groove separates the two axes. The entire animal is estimated to have been 8 centimeters (3.1 in) in length and 3.1 centimeters (1.2 in) in width [3] . The tubular structures of the two "fronds" end abruptly and in turn form a smooth edge to the organism [3] .

In Gehlingia (as well as Tribrachidium) there are "thumb" structures that appear to have been positioned on the left and right side of the main branch [1] . In Tribrachidium, the thumb structures are visible as side bulges which extend out of an axis. [2]

Further reading

See also

Related Research Articles

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References

  1. 1 2 3 Dynamic Paleontology: Using Quantification and Other Tools to Decipher the History of Life. Springer. 10 June 2016. ISBN   9783319227771.
  2. 1 2 3 The Garden of Ediacara: Discovering the First Complex Life. Columbia University Press. 1998. ISBN   9780231105583.
  3. 1 2 3 4 Fedonkin, Mikhail A.; Sciences), Mikhail A. (Head Fedonkin, Laboratory of Precambrian Organisms Russian Academy of; Gehling, James G.; Museum), James G. (Senior Curator Gehling, retired 6 27 2019 South Australian; Grey, Kathleen; Narbonne, Guy M.; Vickers-Rich, Patricia; University), Patricia (Director Vickers-Rich, Monash (Mar 16, 2007). The Rise of Animals: Evolution and Diversification of the Kingdom Animalia. JHU Press. ISBN   9780801886799 . Retrieved May 11, 2022 via Google Books.