Kuibisia
| Kuibisia Temporal range: Ediacaran,
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| Genus: | Kuibisia
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| Type species | |
| Kuibisia glabra | |
Kuibisia glabra is a sac-like and polyp-like solitary Ediacaran organism. The fossil of Kuibisia was dated to be around 610–640 million years old and was found in a pteridinium deposit at Aar Farm in Namibia, South Africa.[1]
Taxonomy
[edit]The name “Kuibisia” comes from the Kuibis quartzite, derived from Kuibis in Nimbia, where the Ausiidae occur. “Glabra” comes from the Latin word meaning “smooth”, after the organism’s surface.
Morphology, anatomy, & behavior
[edit]Kuibisia glabra is built like a conical shaped polyp, about 10 cm long and 3.5 cm at its widest point.[2] It has a sack-like central region, and slender basal core. The organism lived as a single and solitary polyp. The apical “mouth” is densely covered by a wreath of tentacles and develop from coaxial ribs that cover the surface of the organism. The fossil is dated to be 610–640 million years old.[1]
Distribution & paleoenvironment
[edit]Found in a pteridinium deposit of overlying black limestone,[1] the specimen was found in the Aus locality at Aar Farm in Namibia, South Africa[3]
Other notable characteristics
[edit]Kuibisia is ecologically similar to other polyp shaped organisms, the Ceriantharia and the Actiniaria. Kuibisia resembles the sessile Ceriantharia in some features, but this does not mean that there is a relationship between them.[1] Hahn and Pflug[1] placed the genera Ausia and Kuibisia with the family Ausiidae and interpreted them as an early branch of Coelenterata.
See also
[edit]References
[edit]- ^ a b c d e Hahn, G (1985). "Polypenartige Organismen aus dem Jung-Präkambrium (Nama-Gruppe) von Namibia". Geologica et Palaeontologica. 19: 1–13.
- ^ Pickford, M (1995). "Review of the Riphean, Vendian and early Cambrian paleontology of the Otavi and Nama Groups, Namibia". Geological Survey of Namibia. 10: 57–81.
- ^ Fedonkin, M (2012). "A new metazoan from the vendian of the White Sea, Russia, with possible affinities to the Ascidian". Paleontological Journal. 46 (1): 1–11. Bibcode:2012PalJ...46....1F. doi:10.1134/S0031030112010042. S2CID 128415270.