Vetulicola rectangulata

Vetulicola rectangulata (meaning "rectangular ancient dweller") is a species of extinct animal from the Early Cambrian of the Chengjiang biota of China. Regarded as a deuterostome, it has characteristic rectangular anterior body on which the posterior tail region is attached. It was described by Luo Huilin and Hu Shi-xue in 1999.

Vetulicola rectangulata
Temporal range:
Life restoration of Vetulicola rectangulata
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: †Vetulicolia
Class: †Vetulicolida
Order: †Vetulicolata
Family: †Vetulicolidae
Genus: †Vetulicola
Species:
†V. rectangulata
Binomial name
†Vetulicola rectangulata
Luo and Hu, 1999

Description
Size comparison

V. rectangulata was described by Luo Huilin and Hu Shi-xue of the Yunnan Institute of Biological Science in 1999.[1][2] The fossils were discovered from the Early Cambrian Chengjiang deposits in Kunming region, Yunnan, China.[3]

Like V. cuneata, V. rectangulata has a body composed of two distinct parts of approximately equal length. The anterior part is oval to rectangular in shape,[3] enclosed by a carapace-like structure of four rigid cuticular plates fused together, with a small mouth at the front end: there is a keel-like extension of the body wall on the top and belly.[4] Unlike in V. cuneata, the mouth region does not protrude out. The tail-like posterior section is slender, strongly cuticularised and placed dorsally. Paired openings connecting the pharynx to the outside run down the sides. These features are interpreted as possible primitive gill slits.[5] Vetulicola rectangulata could be up to 7.2 cm long, and up to 3.7 cm in height (most specimens being 3.6 cm high).[6]

Lifestyle

It is assumed that V. rectangulata spent most or all of its time swimming in the water column. Sediment found within the gut suggest that it was a deposit-feeder, possibly swimming to and from favorable feeding sites.[7] At least one specimen has an individual of the putative entoproct, Cotyledion tyloides[8] attached to the terminal segment of the tail.

References
  1. Luo, Huilin; Hu, Shi-xue; Chen, Liangzhong; Zhang, Shishan; Tao, Yong-shan (1999). Kunming Diqu zao han wu shi Chengjiang dong wu qun [Early Cambrian Chengjiang Fauna from Kunming Region, China] (in Chinese). Kunming Shi: Yunnan ke ji chu ban she [Yunnan Science and Technology Press]. p. 129. ISBN 7-5416-1322-3. OCLC 57497698.
  2. Chen, Ailin; Chen, Hong; Legg, David A.; Liu, Yu; Hou, Xian-guang (2018). "A redescription of Liangwangshania biloba Chen, 2005, from the Chengjiang biota (Cambrian, China), with a discussion of possible sexual dimorphism in fuxianhuiid arthropods". Arthropod Structure & Development. 47 (5): 552–561. doi:10.1016/j.asd.2018.08.001. PMID 30125735. S2CID 52053402.
  3. Huilin, Luo; Xiaoping, Fu; Shixue, Hu; Yong, Li; Liangzhong, Chen; Ting, You; Qi, Liu (2005). "New Vetulicoliids from the Lower Cambrian Guanshan Fauna, Kunming". Acta Geologica Sinica - English Edition. 79 (1): 1–6. doi:10.1111/j.1755-6724.2005.tb00860.x. S2CID 129031316.
  4. Shu, D. G.; Morris, S. C.; Han, J.; Chen, L.; Zhang, X. L.; Zhang, Z. F.; Liu, H. Q.; Li, Y.; Liu, J. N. (2001-11-22). "Primitive deuterostomes from the Chengjiang Lagerstätte (Lower Cambrian, China)". Nature. 414 (6862): 419–424. Bibcode:2001Natur.414..419S. doi:10.1038/35106514. ISSN 0028-0836. PMID 11719797. S2CID 4345484.
  5. Ou, Qiang; Morris, Simon Conway; Han, Jian; Zhang, Zhifei; Liu, Jianni; Chen, Ailin; Zhang, Xingliang; Shu, Degan (2012). "Evidence for gill slits and a pharynx in Cambrian vetulicolians: implications for the early evolution of deuterostomes". BMC Biology. 10 (1): 81. doi:10.1186/1741-7007-10-81. PMC 3517509. PMID 23031545.
  6. Li, Yu-Jing; Cong, Pei-Yun; Zhao, Jun; Hou, Xian-Guang (2015). "New observations on morphological variation of genus Vetulicola with quadrate carapace from the Cambrian Chengjiang and Guanshan biotas, South China". Palaeoworld. Geologic and biotic events and their relationships during the Early to Middle Paleozoic. 24 (1): 36–45. doi:10.1016/j.palwor.2014.12.006. ISSN 1871-174X.
  7. Li, Yujing; Williams, Mark; Harvey, Thomas H. P.; Wei, Fan; Zhao, Yang; Guo, Jin; Gabbott, Sarah; Fletcher, Tom; Hou, Xianguang; Cong, Peiyun (2020-09-18). "Symbiotic fouling of Vetulicola, an early Cambrian nektonic animal". Communications Biology. 3 (1): 517. doi:10.1038/s42003-020-01244-1. PMC 7501249. PMID 32948820.
  8. Zhang, Zhifei; et al. (January 2013). "A sclerite-bearing stem group entoproct from the early Cambrian and its implications". Scientific Reports. 3: 1066. Bibcode:2013NatSR...3E1066Z. doi:10.1038/srep01066. PMC 3548229. PMID 23336066.
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