Juracanthocephalus

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Juracanthocephalus
Temporal range:
Middle Jurassic (Callovian), 165  Ma [1]
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Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Acanthocephala
Genus:† Juracanthocephalus
Luo et al., 2025 [2] [3]
Species:
†J. daohugouensis
Binomial name
†Juracanthocephalus daohugouensis
Luo et al., 2025 [2] [4]

Juracanthocephalus is an extinct, monospecific genus of stem-group [5] acanthocephalan (thorny-headed worm) that lived in the Jiulongshan Formation during the Callovian age of the Middle Jurassic, 165 Ma. [1] [2]

It shares features with both Seisonidea and Acanthocephala, suggesting they are sister groups, with Juracanthocephalus being a transitional form between the two. [2]

The type and only species is Juracanthocephalus daohugouensis. [2] [3]

References

  1. 1 2 Caton, Emma (1 May 2025). "Jurassic fossil of a parasitic worm fills evolutionary gap | Natural History Museum". Natural History Museum . Retrieved 30 January 2026.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 Luo, Cihang; Parry, Luke A.; Boudinot, Brendon E.; Wang, Shengyu; Jarzembowski, Edmund A.; Zhang, Haichun; Wang, Bo (2025). "A Jurassic acanthocephalan illuminates the origin of thorny-headed worms" . Nature. 641 (8063): 674–680. Bibcode:2025Natur.641..674L. doi:10.1038/s41586-025-08830-5. PMID   40205043.
  3. 1 2 Juracanthocephalus in the Paleobiology Database
  4. ↑ Juracanthocephalus daohugouensis in the Paleobiology Database
  5. ↑ Chinese Academy of Sciences (22 April 2025). "Mystery Solved? 160-Million-Year-Old Fossil Reveals Origins of Thorny-Headed Worms". SciTechDaily. Retrieved 30 January 2026.
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