Ceratophyton

Ceratophyton; Temporal range: Cambrian PreꞒ Ꞓ O S D C P T J K Pg N
Scientific classification
Domain:	Eukaryota
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	incertae sedis
Genus:	†Ceratophyton; Kiryanov, 1979
Species
	C. circufuntum Zang in Gravestock et al. 2001 ; C. duplicum Paskevicienè 1980 ; C. dumufuntum Zang in Gravestock et al. 2001 ; C. spinuconum Zang in Gravestock et al. 2001 ; C. vernicosum Kiryanov 1979 (type) ; = C. groetlingboensis Hagenfeldt, 1989 ; = Veryhachium trisentium Zang 2001 ;

Ceratophyton is a genus of Cambrian acritarch, around 100–200 μm in length, produced by a eukaryotic (metazoan?) organism.

Affinity

Ceratophyton has been interpreted as an originally chitinous component of a metazoan.^[2]^[3] An arthropod relationship has been proposed,^[4] although on a more conservative view it is difficult to provide confident classification beyond saying that they are fragments of a eukaryote.^[2] Particular species, however, show promising similarity to the sclerites of modern priapulid worms.^[5]

Species

C. vernicosum

This species, the type, comprises a single unornamented cone.^[1] This species occurs in platform settings in western Russia in the Lontova and Lyukati horizons, first occurring in the local base of the 'Cambrian'.^[2]^[6] In Poland it occurs from the base of the Cambrian (Platysolenites zone) to the Schmidtiellus zone.^[6]

It has been reported from the middle Cambrian of Belgium, although these specimens are short on diagnostic features.^[3]

It also occurs below the T. pedum zone, indicating the presence of the producer in the Ediacaran period.^[7]

C. circufuntum

This species is represented by single cones that have rings around their bases.^[1]

C. duplicum

This taxon has a double wall, resembling a pair of stacked cones; it may represent a taphomorph of C. vernicosum.^[2]

C. dumufuntum

This single cone has short conical spines, which occur on its basal region.^[1] This species is known from the mid-to-late Atdabanian siltstones of the Ouldburra formation of Australia.^[7]^[8]

C. spinuconum

This species again comprises a single cone; it has spines and processes along both margins.^[1]

Differences from other taxa

Ceratophyton differs from the taxon Veryhachium in having a basal opening.^[2]

References

^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^g The Cambrian biostratigraphy of the Stansbury Basin, South Australia. Russian Academy of Sciences: Transactions of the Palaeontological Institute. 2001.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^g Moczydlowska, M. (2008). "New records of late Ediacaran microbiota from Poland". Precambrian Research. 167 (1–2): 71–92. Bibcode:2008PreR..167...71M. doi:10.1016/j.precamres.2008.07.007.
^ ^a ^b Michel VANGUESTAINE & Renaud LÉONARD (2005). "NEW BIOSTRATIGRAPHIC AND CHRONOSTRATIGRAPHIC DATA FROM THE SAUTOU FORMATION AND ADJACENT STRATA (CAMBRIAN, GIVONNE INLIER, REVIN GROUP, NORTHERN FRANCE) AND SOME LITHOSTRATIGRAPHIC AND TECTONIC IMPLICATIONS". Geologica Belgica. 8 (4): 131–144.
^ Steiner, M.; Fatka, O. I. (1996). "Lower Cambrian tubular micro-to macrofossils from the Paseky Shale of the Barrandian area (Czech Republic)". Paläontologische Zeitschrift. 70 (3–4): 275. Bibcode:1996PalZ...70..275S. doi:10.1007/BF02988075. S2CID 128966084.
^ Butterfield, N. J.; Harvey, T. H. P. (2011). "Small carbonaceous fossils (SCFs): A new measure of early Paleozoic paleobiology". Geology. 40: 71–74. doi:10.1130/G32580.1.
^ ^a ^b Wright, A. E.; Fairchild, I. J.; Moseley, F.; Downie, C. (2009). "The Lower Cambrian Wrekin Quartzite and the age of its unconformity on the Ercall Granophyre". Geological Magazine. 130 (2): 257. doi:10.1017/S0016756800009900. S2CID 128393051.
^ ^a ^b Jago, J. B.; Zang, W. L.; Sun, X.; Brock, G. A.; Paterson, J. R.; Skovsted, C. B. (2006). "A review of the Cambrian biostratigraphy of South Australia". Palaeoworld. 15 (3–4): 406. doi:10.1016/j.palwor.2006.10.014.
^ Kovalevych, V. M.; Zang, W. -L.; Peryt, T. M.; Khmelevska, O. V.; Halas, S.; Iwasinska-Budzyk, I.; Boult, P. J.; Heithersay, P. S. (2006). "Deposition and chemical composition of early Cambrian salt in the eastern Officer Basin, South Australia". Australian Journal of Earth Sciences. 53 (4): 577. Bibcode:2006AuJES..53..577K. doi:10.1080/08120090600686736. S2CID 140600170.

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[Gra2001-1] ^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^g The Cambrian biostratigraphy of the Stansbury Basin, South Australia. Russian Academy of Sciences: Transactions of the Palaeontological Institute. 2001.

[Moc2008-2] ^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^g Moczydlowska, M. (2008). "New records of late Ediacaran microbiota from Poland". Precambrian Research. 167 (1–2): 71–92. Bibcode:2008PreR..167...71M. doi:10.1016/j.precamres.2008.07.007.

[VanLeo2005-3] Michel VANGUESTAINE & Renaud LÉONARD (2005). "NEW BIOSTRATIGRAPHIC AND CHRONOSTRATIGRAPHIC DATA FROM THE SAUTOU FORMATION AND ADJACENT STRATA (CAMBRIAN, GIVONNE INLIER, REVIN GROUP, NORTHERN FRANCE) AND SOME LITHOSTRATIGRAPHIC AND TECTONIC IMPLICATIONS". Geologica Belgica. 8 (4): 131–144.

[4] Steiner, M.; Fatka, O. I. (1996). "Lower Cambrian tubular micro-to macrofossils from the Paseky Shale of the Barrandian area (Czech Republic)". Paläontologische Zeitschrift. 70 (3–4): 275. Bibcode:1996PalZ...70..275S. doi:10.1007/BF02988075. S2CID 128966084.

[5] Butterfield, N. J.; Harvey, T. H. P. (2011). "Small carbonaceous fossils (SCFs): A new measure of early Paleozoic paleobiology". Geology. 40: 71–74. doi:10.1130/G32580.1.

[doi10.1017/S0016756800009900-6] Wright, A. E.; Fairchild, I. J.; Moseley, F.; Downie, C. (2009). "The Lower Cambrian Wrekin Quartzite and the age of its unconformity on the Ercall Granophyre". Geological Magazine. 130 (2): 257. doi:10.1017/S0016756800009900. S2CID 128393051.

[doi10.1016/j.palwor.2006.10.014-7] Jago, J. B.; Zang, W. L.; Sun, X.; Brock, G. A.; Paterson, J. R.; Skovsted, C. B. (2006). "A review of the Cambrian biostratigraphy of South Australia". Palaeoworld. 15 (3–4): 406. doi:10.1016/j.palwor.2006.10.014.

[8] Kovalevych, V. M.; Zang, W. -L.; Peryt, T. M.; Khmelevska, O. V.; Halas, S.; Iwasinska-Budzyk, I.; Boult, P. J.; Heithersay, P. S. (2006). "Deposition and chemical composition of early Cambrian salt in the eastern Officer Basin, South Australia". Australian Journal of Earth Sciences. 53 (4): 577. Bibcode:2006AuJES..53..577K. doi:10.1080/08120090600686736. S2CID 140600170.

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