Gangtoucunia aspera Luo and Hu 1999

Taxonomy

Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Cnidaria Verrill, 1865
Class: incertae sedis
Order: incertae sedis
Family: incertae sedis
Genus: Gangtoucunia
Species: Gangtoucunia aspera
Author Citation Luo and Hu 1999

Geological Time Scale

Eon: Phanerozoic
Era: Paleozoic
Period: Cambrian
Sub Period: None
Epoch: Early
International Age: "Stage 4"

Stratigraphy

Wulongqing Formation

Biostratigraphy

Palaeolenus lantenoisi zone

Provenance

Acquired by: Purchase/Trade

Dimensions

Length: 5 cm
Width: 3 cm

Location

Gaoloufang
Lufeng County
Yunnan
China

• archaeopriapulida
• cambrian
• gangtoucunia
• gaoloufang
• tff-oilshale-pr1493
• wulongqing formation

Comments

Gangtoucunia, a member of the Guanshan fauna, is a genus of worm-like creatures originally assigned to the Archaeopriapulids for uncertain reasons.
However, according to studies by Zhang et al, 2022, these are creatures with cnidarian affinity within the subphyllum Medusozoa.

Emended diagnosis from Zhang et al., 2022 p. 2: "Elongated, tubular polypoid cnidarian that secreted an organophosphatic dwelling tube. The external surface of the tube is transversely annulated with dense and irregular growth lines and has a basal, discshaped holdfast. The tube is elongate with a slight, gradual proximal tapering. The polyp has a single whorl of circumoral tentacles of unknown total length. The polyp body is externally smooth. Internally, the gut is divided by numerous longitudinal septa that partition an elongate gut extending along the preserved length of the body."

References:

Luo H L, Hu S X, Chen L Z, et al. Early Cambrian Chengjiang Fauna from Kunming Region, China (in Chinese with English summary). Kunming: Yunnan Science and Technology Press, 1999. 129

S. X. HU, M. Y. Zhu, M. Steiner, H. L. Luo, F. C. Zhao and Q. Liu. 2010. Biodiversity and taphonomy of the Early Cambrian Guanshan biota, eastern Yunnan. Science China Earth Sciences 53(12):1765-1773

 H.-L. Luo, L. Yong, S.-X. Hu, X.-P. Fu, S.-Q. Hou, X.-Y. Liu, L.-Z. Chen, F.-J. Li, J.-Y. Pang and Q. Liu. 2008. Early Cambrian Malong Fauna and Guanshan Fauna from Eastern Yunnan, China 1-134.
Zhang G, Parry LA, Vinther J, Ma X. 2022 Exceptional soft tissue preservation reveals a cnidarian affinity for a Cambrian phosphatic tubicolous enigma. Proc. R. Soc. B 289: 20221623. https://doi.org/10.1098/rspb.2022.1623