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Article: The Collins’ monster, a spinous suspension‐feeding lobopodian from the Cambrian Burgess Shale of British Columbia

Palaeontology - Vol. 63 Part 6 - Cover Image
Publication: Palaeontology
Volume: 63
Part: 6
Publication Date: November 2020
Page(s): 979 994
Author(s): Jean‐Bernard Caron, and Cédric Aria
Addition Information

How to Cite

CARON, J., ARIA, C. 2020. . Palaeontology, 63, 6, 979-994. DOI: /doi/10.1111/pala.12499

Author Information

  • Jean‐Bernard Caron - Department of Natural History Palaeobiology Royal Ontario Museum 100 Queen's Park Toronto ON M5S 2C6 Canada
  • Jean‐Bernard Caron - Department of Ecology & Evolutionary Biology University of Toronto 25 Willcocks Street Toronto ON M5S 3B2 Canada
  • Jean‐Bernard Caron - Department of Earth Sciences University of Toronto Toronto ON M5S 3B1 Canada
  • Cédric Aria - State Key Laboratory of Palaeobiology & Stratigraphy & Center for Excellence in Life & Palaeoenvironment Nanjing Institute of Geology & Palaeontology Chinese Academy of Sciences Nanjing 210008 China

Publication History

  • Issue published online: 25 November 2020
  • Manuscript Accepted: 01 June 2020
  • Manuscript Received: 06 December 2019

Funded By

Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada. Grant Number: 341944

Online Version Hosted By

Wiley Online Library
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Abstract

Lobopodians, a paraphyletic group of rare but morphologically diverse Palaeozoic vermiform animals bearing metameric appendages, are key to the origin of extant panarthropods. First discovered in 1983 on Mount Stephen (Yoho National Park, British Columbia), the Cambrian (Wuliuan) Burgess Shale lobopodian nicknamed ‘Collins’ monster’ is formally described as Collinsovermis monstruosus gen. et sp. nov. A formal systematic treatment of the comparable and poorly known lobopodian Acinocricus stichus from Utah is also provided. The body of Collinsovermis is plump and compact but shows the diagnostic suspension‐feeding characters of luolishaniid lobopodians. It possesses 14 contiguous pairs of lobopods, lacking space between them. The 6 anterior pairs are elongate, adorned with about 20 pairs of long and slightly curved ventral spinules arranged in a chevron‐like pattern. These appendages terminate in a pair of thin claws and their dorsal surfaces are covered in minute spines or setae. The 8 posterior lobopod pairs, which attach to a truncated body termination, are stout and smooth, each terminated by a single strong recurved claw. Each somite bears a pair of dorsal spines; somites 4 and posteriad bear an additional median spine. The spines on somites 1–3 are much shorter than the spines on the remaining somites. The head is short, bears a terminal mouth and a pair of antenniform outgrowths, and is covered by an oblong sclerite. Collinsovermis, plus Collinsium and Acinocricus, are found to comprise a sub‐group of stout luolishaniid lobopodians with remarkably long spinules on the front lobopods, interpreted here as a clade (Teratopodidae fam. nov.) This clade is distinct from both the comparatively slenderer Luolishania and a sub‐group composed of Facivermis and Ovatiovermis lacking body sclerites. Luolishaniids were mostly sessile forerunners of arthropods that had coupled efficient suspension‐feeding devices and, as in Collinsovermis, strong defensive or deterrent features.

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