Anomalocaris Appendage? Marble Mountains, California

[Pliosaur]

Looking to see if anyone is able to identify this as an Anomalocaris appendage? Measures approximately 60mm

 

Middle Cambrian

Latham Shale

Marble Mountains, CA, USA

 

Thanks in advance! 

 

 

[Fissiletag]

It does have a striking resemblance to anomlocarid arms I've seen in the past. Here's one from the Chengjang biota. 

Edited February 6, 2023 by Fissiletag

[Pliosaur]

@Fissiletag Thanks for sharing! The one you posted seems to have more contrast and belong to Anomalocaris kunmingensis sp. known from localities in China, it appears to be a frontal appendage and also seems to show the ventral spines alternating in length as well as the distal spines and a small ventral spine on podomere. The specimen I posted doesn't seem to have any diagnostic features but the general shape and location of where it was found makes it plausible that it came from Anomalocaris sp. 

 

 

[Fissiletag]

I don't know a huge amount about the Lantham Shale, but I was mainly going off the shape of the fossil resembling anomalcarids from other formations that I've seen more frequently. Here's a paper about species in the Latham shale. http://nostalgia.esmartkid.com/cambmojave1.html

 

Edited February 6, 2023 by Fissiletag

[Rockwood]

I can't think of a better explanation for what it is. 

[Fossildude19]

Looks a bit ike a phyllocarid to me.

[Rockwood]

39 minutes ago, Fossildude19 said:

Looks a bit ike a phyllocarid to me.

But 60mm for the bit that would look like this ?

[Pliosaur]

@Fossildude19 @Rockwood I can kinda see the rough outline of an appendage but it is very faint which is why I’m not sure if it’s anamolocaris…

 

If it helps, it was found in marble mountains which is known for cambrian fauna including anamolocaris and trilobites 

 

It would be useful to see if anybody is able to post their specimens for comparison

[Fossildude19]

1 hour ago, Rockwood said:

But 60mm for the bit that would look like this ?

 60 mm is 6 cm= 2.36 inches.  Not too large for a phyllocarid.

 

Here is what I am seeing:

 

 

Not saying that is definitely what this is, just what it looks like to me. 

[Rockwood]

9 minutes ago, Fossildude19 said:

Here is what I am seeing:

No. I guess it could have been a carapace, but I see no evidence for it now.

@Pliosaur  I have no hands on experience with these. 

[Pliosaur]

I did a little bit of research and complied a list here of all the known fauna from the Lower Cambrian Latham Shale 

Baugaeria radiata--A coelenterate

Paterina prospectensis--A brachiopod

Mickwitaia occidens--A brachiopod

Nisusia fulleri--A brachiopod

Hyolithes whitei--A hyolithid

New species of annelid--A worm

Olenellus clarki--A trilobite

Olenellus fremonti--A trilobite

Olenellus gilberti--A trilobite

Olenellus mohavensis--A trilobite

Olenellus new species--A trilobite

Bristolia anteros--A trilobite

Bristolia bristolensis--A trilobite

Bristolia insolens--A trilobite

Bristolia new species--A trilobite

Peachella iddingsi--A trilobite

Onchocephalus new species--A trilobite

Anomalocaris canadensis--A predatory arthropod

Gogia ojenai--An echinoderm

Girvanella--Blue-green algae

 

This list was compiled from Jack D. Mount's paper, "Characteristic of Early Cambrian Faunas from Eastern San Bernardino County, California," Paleontological Tour of the Mojave Desert, California-Nevada, Southern California Paleontological Society Special Publications, number. 2, 1980.

 

Edited February 6, 2023 by Pliosaur

[Pliosaur]

@Fossildude19 It certainly looks like it could be the head and tail of a phyllocarid although I’m not sure if they are known from that location

 

no wonder why it was so hard for early researchers to identify Anomalocaris as a single animal from just pieces of its body…

[Fossildude19]

Just now, Pliosaur said:

@Fossildude19 It certainly looks like it could be the head and tail of a phyllocarid although I’m not sure if they are known from that location

 

no wonder why it was so hard for early researchers to identify Anomalocaris as a single animal from just pieces of its body…

 

It could be an Anomalocaris appendage, but I am not seeing the tell tale spikes or segmentation that would positively identify it for me.

Retailers are notorious for selling things as other things, so, without identifying details, you have to trust the retailer has the correct ID in place.

Personally, I would not buy this as an Anomalocaris, given the preservation. Just my opinion. 

 

Faunal lists are great, until they are added to, by new finds. 

[Pliosaur]

@Fossildude19 Could it be possible that this isn't organic material at all

[Fossildude19]

10 minutes ago, Pliosaur said:

@Fossildude19 Could it be possible that this isn't organic material at all

Anything is possible. However, I do think it is a fossil of some kind.

[Fissiletag]

Could this be a spine on the arm. Even if it is a spine, I don't think the fossil is well preserved enough to get a good ID.

[Pliosaur]

45 minutes ago, Fissiletag said:

Could this be a spine on the arm. Even if it is a spine, I don't think the fossil is well preserved enough to get a good ID.

@Fissiletag I was thinking that as well but it appears that only one spine is visible  so hopefully someone will be able to give us a better idea of what it is

[piranha]

4 hours ago, Pliosaur said:

I did a little bit of research and complied a list here of all the known fauna from the Lower Cambrian Latham Shale 

 

Baugaeria radiata--A coelenterate

Paterina prospectensis--A brachiopod

Mickwitaia occidens--A brachiopod

Nisusia fulleri--A brachiopod

Hyolithes whitei--A hyolithid

New species of annelid--A worm

Olenellus clarki--A trilobite

Olenellus fremonti--A trilobite

Olenellus gilberti--A trilobite

Olenellus mohavensis--A trilobite

Olenellus new species--A trilobite

Bristolia anteros--A trilobite

Bristolia bristolensis--A trilobite

Bristolia insolens--A trilobite

Bristolia new species--A trilobite

Peachella iddingsi--A trilobite

Onchocephalus new species--A trilobite

Anomalocaris canadensis--A predatory arthropod

Gogia ojenai--An echinoderm

Girvanella--Blue-green algae

 

This list was compiled from Jack D. Mount's paper, "Characteristic of Early Cambrian Faunas from Eastern San Bernardino County, California," Paleontological Tour of the Mojave Desert, California-Nevada, Southern California Paleontological Society Special Publications, number. 2, 1980.

 

 

There are additional Latham Shale taxa to report since Mount 1980. 

 

Bolbolenellus sp.
Bristolia aff. fragilis
Bristolia harringtoni

Bristolia mohavensis  replaces 'Olenellus mohavensis'
Mesonacis cylindricus

Mesonacis fremonti  replaces 'Olenellus fremonti'

Olenellus nevadensis

 

Foster, J.R. 2011
Trilobite Taphonomy of the Latham Shale (Lower Cambrian; Dyeran), Mojave Desert,

California: An Inner Detrital Belt Burgess Shale-Type Deposit of Western Laurentia.

Palaeontographica Canadiana, 31:119-140  PDF LINK

 

 

Dictyonina pannula
Hadrotreta primaea
Wimanella highlandensis

 

Liang, Y., Holmer, L.E., Duan, X., Zhang, Z. 2022

Brachiopods from the Latham Shale Lagerstätte (Cambrian Series 2, Stage 4) and Cadiz Formation (Miaolingian, Wuliuan), California.

Journal of Paleontology, 96(1):61-80  PDF LINK

 

 

Margaretia chamblessi

 

Waggoner, B., Hagadorn, J.W. 2004
An Unmineralized Alga from the Lower Cambrian of California, USA.
Neues Jahrbuch für Geologie und Paläontologie - Abhandlungen 231(1):67-83  PDF LINK

 

 

Cambrorhytium fragilis

Nevadotheca whitei  replaces 'Hyolithes whitei'
Lathamoserpens sigel

 

Waggoner, B., Hagadorn, J.W. 2005

Conical Fossils from the Lower Cambrian of Eastern California.

PaleoBios, 25(1):1-10  PDF LINK

[Pliosaur]

Just now, piranha said:

 

 

There are additional Latham Shale taxa to report since Mount 1980. 

 

Bolbolenellus sp.
Bristolia aff. fragilis
Bristolia harringtoni

Bristolia mohavensis  replaces 'Olenellus mohavensis'
Mesonacis cylindricus

Olenellus nevadensis

 

Foster, J.R. 2011
Trilobite Taphonomy of the Latham Shale (Lower Cambrian; Dyeran), Mojave Desert,

California: An Inner Detrital Belt Burgess Shale-Type Deposit of western Laurentia.

Palaeontographica Canadiana, 31:119-140  PDF LINK

 

 

Dictyonina pannula
Hadrotreta primaea
Wimanella highlandensis

 

Liang, Y., Holmer, L.E., Duan, X., Zhang, Z. 2022

Brachiopods from the Latham Shale Lagerstätte (Cambrian Series 2, Stage 4) and Cadiz Formation (Miaolingian, Wuliuan), California.

Journal of Paleontology, 96(1):61-80  PDF LINK

 

 

Margaretia chamblessi

 

Waggoner, B., Hagadorn, J.W. 2004
An Unmineralized Alga from the Lower Cambrian of California, USA.
Neues Jahrbuch für Geologie und Paläontologie - Abhandlungen 231(1):67-83  PDF LINK

 

 

Cambrorhytium fragilis

Nevadotheca whitei  replaces 'Hyolithes whitei'
Lathamoserpens sigel

 

Waggoner, B., Hagadorn, J.W. 2005

Conical Fossils from the Lower Cambrian of Eastern California.

PaleoBios, 25(1):1-10  PDF LINK

@piranha Thank you for adding this, definitely a useful resource for reference

It seems like most of the fossils coming out of the Latham Shale are either trilobites or brachiopods, I would think that whatever this specimen is, it would be quite distinguishable from those? What's interesting to me is the curvature shown in red 

 

But as @Fossildude19 said, it could be the tail end of an phyllocarid

[Pliosaur]

For comparison phyllocarid fossils are notably segmented and have a "tail" at the end of it, see pictures for comparison 

[Fossildude19]

15 minutes ago, Pliosaur said:

For comparison phyllocarid fossils are notably segmented and have a "tail" at the end of it, see pictures for comparison

 

I'm not sure any of those is a Cambrian phyllocarid, though.

 

And the shape of the fossil in question is not strictly pointed at the end.

 

I cannot give a definitive ID on this.

 

All that I am saying is that, with this level of uncertainty, I would not buy this. 

 

[Pliosaur]

@Fossildude19 agreed, wouldn’t be comfortable purchasing this until more research into the ID, although it is still interesting to ponder about what it could be!  It’s always useful to learn more about the specimens instead of just taking the seller’s word 

[cameronsfossilcollection]

I'm pretty late to this party, but I would confidently say that this is a raptorial appendage. the anterior spines remind me of Amplectobelua symbrachiata.

[Sagebrush Steve]

57 minutes ago, cameronsfossilcollection said:

I'm pretty late to this party, but I would confidently say that this is a raptorial appendage. the anterior spines remind me of Amplectobelua symbrachiata.

You could be right but I don’t believe Amplectobeula has been found in the Latham shale, which is lower Cambrian.  It has been found in the middle Cambrian Burgess Shale of Canada.  It could be a scientifically important fossil.

[waterville]

I am more late. Look at this one. I think a match. 

 

Brent