Luolishania

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Luolishania
Temporal range: Cambrian stage 3
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
(unranked): Panarthropoda
Phylum:† "Lobopodia"
Family:† Luolishaniidae
Genus:† Luolishania
Hou & Chen, 1989
Species:
†L. longicruris
Binomial name
†Luolishania longicruris
Hou & Chen, 1989

Luolishania is an extinct genus of lobopodian panarthropod and known from the Lower Cambrian Chiungchussu Formation (Maotianshan Shales) of the Chengjiang County, Yunnan Province, China. A monotypic genus, it contains one species Luolishania longicruris. It was discovered and described by Hou Xian-Guang and Chen Jun-Yuan in 1989. [1] It is one of the superarmoured Cambrian lobopodians suspected to be either an intermediate form in the origin of velvet worms (Onychophora) [2] [3] [4] [5] [6] [7] [8] [9] or basal to at least Tardigrada and Arthropoda. [10] [11] [12] It is the basis of the family name Luolishaniidae, [13] which also include other related lobopods such as Acinocricus , Collinsium , Facivermis, and Ovatiovermis . [8] Along with Microdictyon , it is the first lobopodian fossil discovered from China. [14]

Contents

Discovery

Diagrammatic reconstruction of Luolishania longicruris, based on the interpretation of Miraluolishania haikouensis as the same species. 20210902 Luolishania longicruris Miraluolishania haikouensis diagrammatic reconstruction.png
Diagrammatic reconstruction of Luolishania longicruris, based on the interpretation of Miraluolishania haikouensis as the same species.

A single specimen of Luolishania fossil was discovered by Hou Xian-guang and Chen Jun-yuan of the Nanjing Institute of Geology and Palaeontology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, from the Chengjiang Lagerstätte in China, and described it in 1989. [15] The generic name refers to the Luolishan village in Chengjian area from where the fossil was collected. [1]

In 2009, a team of palaeontologists at the Yunnan University, led by Xiaoya Ma reported the discovery of 42 other specimens from Haikou, which is 40 km from Chengjian. With the help of Swiss palaeontologist Jan Bergström, Ma and Hou came to the conclusion that all the specimens were Luolishania and that a closely related species, Miraluolishania haikouensis (described from the same area by Jianni Liu and Degan Shu in 2004) was also a species (junior synonym) of Luolishania. [16] However, a reassessment by Liu and Shu's team at the Northwest University in 2008 established that Luolishania and Miraluolishania are distinct animals, [15] an idea that was continuously defended by Liu & Dunlop 2014. [17] However, inclusive phylogenetic analysis of lobopodians since the mid 2010 generally treat both of them as conspecific, coding Luolishania with characters believed to be those of Miraluolishania by Liu et al. (e.g. eyes, antennae, spines). [2] [3] [4] [5] [6] [7] [10] [11] [8] [12] [9] Additionally, Miraluolishania had been noted as one of the ambiguous or controversial lobopodian species by Ou & Mayer 2018. [18]

Description

Luolishania is a tiny and slim soft-bodied lobopodian measuring about 0.7 cm long and about 0.9 mm wide. [1] It bears 16 pairs of stubby legs (lobopods) which are attached to each 16 body segment (somite). [13] The first five pairs are distinguishably longer and covered with spines. [15] The spines are arranged in V-shaped pattern. [10] It is discernible in all the legs, but the last four posterior pairs have four claws, [1] and it is likely that all legs have the same number of claws. The legs are attached to the body at intervals of about 0.4 to 0.8 mm. [14] Luolishania possesses three dot-like tubercles or sclerites on each somite. [15] If the Miraluolishania specimens are indeed conspecific, the anterior rows of sclerites would have been long, curved spines. [14] The area surrounding the sclerites are rusty in colour due to the presence of iron oxide (pyrite). The gut is straight and simple, running the entire length of the body. Morphological appendages and traces of anatomical parts indicate that it is a filter feeder. [14]

The head is oval shaped, but in contrast to other luolishaniid species, it is relatively expanded relative to its body. A pair of tiny projections of about 2 mm long are present on the front-sides of the head and are presumed to be antennae. [14] Luolishania is the first lobopodian discovered to have eyes, [19] which were once reinterpreted as sclerites. [20] Scanning electron microscopic study confirmed that there is a pair of eyes towards the middle area of the head. [21] At the base of the head is a distinct constriction like a neck that is a connection to the main body (trunk). [14]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lobopodia</span> Group of extinct worm-like animals with legs

Lobopodians are members of the informal group Lobopodia, or the formally erected phylum Lobopoda Cavalier-Smith (1998). They are panarthropods with stubby legs called lobopods, a term which may also be used as a common name of this group as well. While the definition of lobopodians may differ between literatures, it usually refers to a group of soft-bodied, marine worm-like fossil panarthropods such as Aysheaia and Hallucigenia. However, other genera like Kerygmachela and Pambdelurion are often referred to as “gilled lobopodians”.

<i>Hallucigenia</i> Genus of Cambrian animals

Hallucigenia is a genus of lobopodian known from Cambrian aged fossils in Burgess Shale-type deposits in Canada and China, and from isolated spines around the world. The generic name reflects the type species' unusual appearance and eccentric history of study; when it was erected as a genus, H. sparsa was reconstructed as an enigmatic animal upside down and back to front. Lobopodians are a grade of Paleozoic panarthropods from which the velvet worms, water bears, and arthropods arose.

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

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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Panarthropoda</span> Animal taxon

Panarthropoda is a proposed animal clade containing the extant phyla Arthropoda, Tardigrada and Onychophora. Panarthropods also include extinct marine legged worms known as lobopodians ("Lobopodia"), a paraphyletic group where the last common ancestor and basal members (stem-group) of each extant panarthropod phylum are thought to have risen. However the term "Lobopodia" is sometimes expanded to include tardigrades and onychophorans as well.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dinocaridida</span> Extinct class of basal arthropods

Dinocaridida is a proposed fossil taxon of basal arthropods, which flourished during the Cambrian period and survived up to Early Devonian. Characterized by a pair of frontal appendages and series of body flaps, the name of Dinocaridids refers to the suggested role of some of these members as the largest marine predators of their time. Dinocaridids are occasionally referred to as the 'AOPK group' by some literatures, as the group compose of Radiodonta, Opabiniidae, and the "gilled lobopodians" Pambdelurion and Kerygmachelidae. It is most likely paraphyletic, with Kerygmachelidae and Pambdelurion more basal than the clade compose of Opabiniidae, Radiodonta and other arthropods.

<i>Jianshanopodia</i> Extinct genus of Cambrian lobopodian

Jianshanopodia is a monotypic genus of Cambrian lobopodian, discovered from Maotianshan Shales of Yunnan, China.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kunmingella</span>

Kunmingella is genus of Cambrian bradoriid from the Chengjiang biota, containing the single species K. douvillei. Kunmingella had 12 appendages, including a pair of antennae as well pairs of biramous limbs, including four anterior pairs of appendages bearing double rows of endites on their endopods, and a posterior 5 with only a single row of endites, as well as two terminal pairs of uniramous limbs. Eggs have been found preserved attached to the posteriormost three pairs of biramous limbs, suggesting it engaged in brood care. Around 50–80 eggs, each around 150–180 μm across were attached in total.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Radiodonta</span> Extinct order of basal arthropods

Radiodonta is an extinct order of stem-group arthropods that was successful worldwide during the Cambrian period. Radiodonts are distinguished by their distinctive frontal appendages, which are morphologically diverse and used for a variety of functions. Radiodonts are among the earliest large predators, but they also included sediment sifters and filter feeders. Some of the most famous species of radiodonts are the Cambrian taxa Anomalocaris canadensis, Hurdia victoria, Peytoia nathorsti, Titanokorys gainesi, Cambroraster falcatus and Amplectobelua symbrachiata. The later surviving members include the subfamily Aegirocassisinae from the Early Ordovician of Morocco and the Early Devonian member Schinderhannes bartelsi from Germany.

<i>Miraluolishania</i> Extinct genus of lobopodians

Miraluolishania is an extinct lobopodian known from Chengjiang County in China. It is remarkable for the possession of lensed pit-eyes. The only species, Miraluolishania haikouensis, was described from the Maotianshan Shales at Haikou by Jianni Liu and Degan Shu in 2004. In 2009, a team of palaeontologists at the Yunnan University, led by Xiaoya Ma reported the discovery of 42 other specimens from Haikou. With the help of Swiss palaeontologist Jan Bergström, Ma and Hou came to the conclusion that all the specimens were the same species as Luolishania; another lobopod discovered from the Chengjian in 1989. Chengjian is 40 kms from Haikou and the fossil fauna are different. A reassessment by Liu and Shu's team at the Northwest University in 2008 established that Luolishania and Miraluolishania are distinct animals.

<i>Cucumericrus</i> Extinct genus of arthropod

Cucumericrus ("cucumber-leg") is an extinct genus of stem-arthropod. The type and only species is Cucumericrus decoratus, with fossils discovered from the Maotianshan Shales of Yunnan, China.

<i>Diania</i> Extinct genus of Cambrian animals

Diania is an extinct genus of lobopodian panarthropod found in the Lower Cambrian Maotianshan shale of China, represented by a single species - D. cactiformis. Known during its investigation by the nickname "walking cactus", this organism belongs to a group known as the armoured lobopodians, and has a simple worm-like body with robust, spiny legs. Initially, the legs were thought to have a jointed exoskeleton and Diania was suggested to be evolutionarily close to early arthropods, but many later studies have rejected this interpretation.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Luolishaniidae</span> Extinct family of worm-like animals

The Luolishaniidae or Luolishaniida are a group of Cambrian and Ordovician lobopodians with anterior 5 or 6 pairs of setiferous lobopods. Most luolishaniids also have posterior lobopods each with a hooked claws, and thorn-shaped sclerites arranged as three or more per trunk segment. The type genus is based on Luolishania longicruris Hou and Chen, 1989, from the Chengjiang Lagerstatte, South China. They are presumed to have been benthic suspension or filter feeders.

<i>Onychodictyon</i> Extinct genus of worms

Onychodictyon is a genus of extinct lobopodian known from the Lower Cambrian Chengjiang Maotianshan Shales in the Yunnan Province in China. It was characterized by a stout body covered by fleshy papillae and pairs of sclerotized plates with spines, representing part of the diverse "armoured lobopodians" alongside similar forms such as Microdictyon and Hallucigenia.

<i>Collinsovermis</i> Extinct genus of lobopodians

Collinsovermis is a genus of extinct panarthropod belonging to the group Lobopodia and known from the middle Cambrian Burgess Shale in British Columbia, Canada. It is monotypic having only one species, Collinsovermis monstruosus. After its initial discovery in 1983, Desmond H. Collins popularised it as a unique animal and was subsequently dubbed "Collins' monster" for its unusual super armoured body. The formal scientific description and name were given in 2020. A similar lobopodian is known from the Emu Bay Shale, however it remains unnamed.

<i>Acinocricus</i> Extinct genus of lobopodians

Acinocricus is a genus of extinct panarthropod belonging to the group Lobopodia and known from the middle Cambrian Spence Shale of Utah, United States. As a monotypic genus, it has one species Acinocricus stichus. The only lobopodian discovered from the Spence Shale, it was described by Simon Conway Morris and Richard A. Robison in 1988. Owing to the original fragmentary fossils discovered since 1982, it was initially classified as an alga, but later realised to be an animal belonging to Cambrian fauna.

<i>Thanahita</i> Extinct genus of Lobopodian

Thanahita is a genus of extinct lobopodian and known from the middle Silurian Herefordshire Lagerstätte at the England–Wales border in UK. It is monotypic and contains one species, Thanahita distos. Discovered in 2018, it is estimated to have lived around 430 million years ago and is the only known extinct lobopodian in Europe, and the first Silurian lobopodian known worldwide.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hallucigeniidae</span> Extinct family of lobopodian worms

Hallucigeniidae is a family of extinct worms belonging to the group Lobopodia that originated during the Cambrian explosion. It is based on the species Hallucigenia sparsa, the fossil of which was discovered by Charles Doolittle Walcott in 1911 from the Burgess Shale of British Columbia. The name Hallucigenia was created by Simon Conway Morris in 1977, from which the family was erected after discoveries of other hallucigeniid worms from other parts of the world. Classification of these lobopods and their relatives are still controversial, and the family consists of at least four genera.

Carbotubulus is a genus of extinct worm belonging to the group Lobopodia and known from the Carboniferous Carbondale Formation of the Mazon Creek area in Illinois, US. A monotypic genus, it contains one species Carbotubulus waloszeki. It was discovered and described by Joachim T. Haug, Georg Mayer, Carolin Haug, and Derek E.G. Briggs in 2012. With an age of about 300 million years, it is the first long-legged lobopodian discovered after the period of Cambrian explosion.

<i>Lenisambulatrix</i> Extinct genus of Lobopodian

Lenisambulatrix is a genus of extinct worm belonging to the group Lobopodia and known from the Lower Cambrian Maotianshan shale of China. It is represented by a single species L. humboldti. The incomplete fossil was discovered and described by Qiang Ou and Georg Mayer in 2018. Due to its missing parts, its relationship with other lobopodians is not clear. It shares many structural features with another Cambrian lobopodian Diania cactiformis, a fossil of which was found alongside it.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 Hou, Xian-guang; Chen, Jun-yuan (1989). "Early Cambrian arthropod-annelid intermediate sea animal, Luolishania gen. nov. from Chengjiang, Yunnan". Acta Palaeontologica Sinica. 28 (2): 207–213.
  2. 1 2 Smith, Martin R.; Ortega-Hernández, Javier (2014). "Hallucigenia's onychophoran-like claws and the case for Tactopoda". Nature. 514 (7522): 363–366. Bibcode:2014Natur.514..363S. doi:10.1038/nature13576. ISSN   1476-4687. PMID   25132546. S2CID   205239797.
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  12. 1 2 Caron, Jean-Bernard; Aria, Cédric (2020). "The Collins' monster, a spinous suspension-feeding lobopodian from the Cambrian Burgess Shale of British Columbia". Palaeontology. 63 (6): 979–994. doi:10.1111/pala.12499. ISSN   1475-4983. S2CID   225593728.
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  14. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Ma, Xiaoya; Hou, Xianguang; Bergström, Jan (2009). "Morphology of Luolishania longicruris (Lower Cambrian, Chengjiang Lagerstätte, SW China) and the phylogenetic relationships within lobopodians". Arthropod Structure & Development. 38 (4): 271–291. doi:10.1016/j.asd.2009.03.001. PMID   19293001.
  15. 1 2 3 4 Liu, JianNi; Shu, DeGan; Han, Jian; Zhang, ZhiFei (2008). "Comparative study of Cambrian lobopods Miraluolishania and Luolishania". Chinese Science Bulletin. 53 (1): 87–93. Bibcode:2008ChSBu..53...87L. doi:10.1007/s11434-007-0428-1. S2CID   128619311.
  16. ↑ Liu, Jianni; Shu, Degan; Han, Jian; Zhang, Zhifei (2004). "A rare lobopod with well-preserved eyes from Chengjiang Lagerstätte and its implications for origin of arthropods". Chinese Science Bulletin. 49 (10): 1063–1071. Bibcode:2004ChSBu..49.1063L. doi:10.1007/BF03184038. S2CID   83710444.
  17. ↑ Liu, Jianni; Dunlop, Jason A. (2014-03-15). "Cambrian lobopodians: A review of recent progress in our understanding of their morphology and evolution". Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology. Cambrian Bioradiation. 398: 4–15. Bibcode:2014PPP...398....4L. doi:10.1016/j.palaeo.2013.06.008. ISSN   0031-0182.
  18. ↑ Ou, Qiang; Mayer, Georg (2018-09-20). "A Cambrian unarmoured lobopodian, †Lenisambulatrix humboldti gen. et sp. nov., compared with new material of †Diania cactiformis". Scientific Reports. 8 (1): 13667. Bibcode:2018NatSR...813667O. doi:10.1038/s41598-018-31499-y. ISSN   2045-2322. PMC   6147921 . PMID   30237414.
  19. ↑ Liu, Jianni; Shu, Degan; Han, Jian; Zhang, Zhifei (2004). "A rare lobopod with well-preserved eyes from Chengjiang Lagerstätte and its implications for origin of arthropods". Chinese Science Bulletin. 49 (10): 1063–1071. Bibcode:2004ChSBu..49.1063L. doi:10.1007/BF03184038. S2CID   83710444.
  20. ↑ Chen, Jun-Yuan (2012), Talent, John A. (ed.), "Evolutionary Scenario of the Early History of the Animal Kingdom: Evidence from Precambrian (Ediacaran) Weng'an and Early Cambrian Maotianshan Biotas, China", Earth and Life, Dordrecht: Springer Netherlands, pp. 239–379, doi:10.1007/978-90-481-3428-1_10, ISBN   978-90-481-3427-4 , retrieved 2022-01-06
  21. ↑ Ma, Xiaoya; Hou, Xianguang; Aldridge, Richard J.; Siveter, David J.; Siveter, Derek J.; Gabbott, Sarah E.; Purnell, Mark A.; Parker, Andrew R.; Edgecombe, Gregory D. (2012). "Morphology of Cambrian lobopodian eyes from the Chengjiang Lagerstätte and their evolutionary significance". Arthropod Structure & Development. 41 (5): 495–504. doi:10.1016/j.asd.2012.03.002. PMID   22484085.
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