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Article: Anatomy and affinities of a new 535‐million‐year‐old medusozoan from the Kuanchuanpu Formation, South China

Palaeontology - Volume 60 Part 6 - Cover Image
Publication: Palaeontology
Volume: 60
Part: 6
Publication Date: November 2017
Page(s): 853 867
Author(s): Xing Wang, Jian Han, Jean Vannier, Qiang Ou, Xiaoguang Yang, Kentaro Uesugi, Osamu Sasaki, and Tsuyoshi Komiya
Addition Information

How to Cite

WANG, X., HAN, J., VANNIER, J., OU, Q., YANG, X., UESUGI, K., SASAKI, O., KOMIYA, T. 2017. Anatomy and affinities of a new 535‐million‐year‐old medusozoan from the Kuanchuanpu Formation, South China. Palaeontology, 60, 6, 853-867. DOI: 10.1111/pala.12320

Author Information

  • Xing Wang - Early Life Institute & Department of Geology State Key Laboratory of Continental Dynamics Northwest University Xi'an China
  • Xing Wang - UMR 5276 du CNRS Laboratoire de géologie de Lyon: Terre, Planètes, Environnement Université Lyon 1 Villeurbanne France
  • Jian Han - Early Life Institute & Department of Geology State Key Laboratory of Continental Dynamics Northwest University Xi'an China (Email: elihanj@nwu.edu.cn)
  • Jean Vannier - UMR 5276 du CNRS Laboratoire de géologie de Lyon: Terre, Planètes, Environnement Université Lyon 1 Villeurbanne France
  • Qiang Ou - Early Life Evolution Laboratory School of Earth Sciences & Resources University of Geosciences Beijing China
  • Qiang Ou - Department of Zoology University of Kassel Kassel Germany
  • Xiaoguang Yang - Early Life Institute & Department of Geology State Key Laboratory of Continental Dynamics Northwest University Xi'an China
  • Kentaro Uesugi - Japan Synchrotron Radiation Research Institute (JASRI) 1‐1‐1 Kouto Sayo‐cho Sayo‐gun Hyogo Japan
  • Osamu Sasaki - Tohoku University Museum Tohoku University Sendai Japan
  • Tsuyoshi Komiya - Department of Earth Science & Astronomy Graduate School of Arts and Sciences The University of Tokyo Tokyo Japan

Publication History

  • Issue published online: 06 October 2017
  • Manuscript Accepted: 30 June 2017
  • Manuscript Received: 10 April 2017

Funded By

National Natural Science Foundation of China. Grant Number: 41272019
Ministry of Science and Technology of China. Grant Numbers: 2013CB835002, 2013CB837100
Programs of Introducing Talents of Discipline to Universities. Grant Number: W20136100061
State Key Laboratory of Continental Dynamics
Northwest University

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Wiley Online Library
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Abstract

We describe here Sinaster petalon gen. et sp. nov., a new embryonic form from the c. 535 million‐year‐old Kuanchuanpu Formation of South China (Ningqiang, Shaanxi Province). The excellent three‐dimensional, phosphatic preservation of these microfossils allowed us to use x‐ray microtomographic techniques to make accurate reconstructions of their internal structures and to compare their anatomy point‐by‐point with that of extant cnidarians and other animal groups. Sinaster petalon has anatomical features typical of extant Medusozoa (Cnidaria), such as coronal muscles, perradial and adradial frenula, interradial septa, accessory septa, gonad‐lamellae, tentacle buds and perradial pockets. Although Sinaster cannot be straightforwardly assigned to any crowngroup within Medusozoa, the presence of marginal lappets and endodermal lamellae suggests that it is closer to Cubozoa and Scyphozoa than to any other group of modern cnidarians. The tentative placement of Sinaster within the stem‐group Cubozoa is justified by the presence of a velarium supported by a frenulum. The cubozoan affinities of Sinaster are also supported by cladistic analysis.

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