Noffkarkys
Noffkarkys ("net of Noffke") is a genus of problematic fossil first found in the Ediacaran (550 million years old) Grant Bluff Formation of Central Mount Stuart, Northern Territory, Australia, and another prostrate frond-like fossil.[1] The genus was named in honor of Nora Noffke.
| Noffkarkys Temporal range: Late Ediacaran, | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Holotype of Noffkarkys storaaslii, from Ediacaran Grant Bluff Formation, Central Mount Stuart, Australia | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | incertae sedis |
| Genus: | †Noffkarkys Retallack and Broz (2020) |
| Type species | |
| †Noffkarkys storaaslii Retallack and Broz (2020) | |
Description
Noffkarkys is an Ediacaran fossil frond with a fine pattern of rhombic quilts radiating from the base which does not include a rounded holdfast. Like other Ediacaran frond such as Trepassia which also lacks a holdfast,[2] Noffkarkys may have lived prone on the substrate. The fine quilting extends deep into the matrix from the upper side as seen in petrographic thin sections.[3]
Biological affinities
Noffkarkys is a problematic fossil like many Ediacaran genera, and is one of the few vendobionts that persisted into the Cambrian[3] Affinities may be with sea pens or lichens.[1]
References
- Retallack, G.J.; Broz, A.P. (2020). "Arumberia and other Ediacaran fossils from central Australia". Historical Biology. 32: 17552811. doi:10.1080/08912963.2020.1755281. S2CID 219432483.
- McIlroy,D.; Hawco,J.; McKean,C.; Nicholls, R.; Pasinetti, G.; Taylor, R. (2022). "Palaeobiology of the reclining rangeomorph Beothukis from the Ediacaran Mistaken Point Formation of southeastern Newfoundland". Geological Magazine. 159: 1160–1174. doi:10.1017/S0016756820000941.
- Retallack, G.J. (2022). "Internal structure of Cambrian vendobionts Arumberia, Hallidaya, and Noffkarkys preserved by clay in Montana, USA". Journal of Palaeosciences. 71: 1–18. doi:10.54991/jop.2022.539.