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Gehlingia
Enigmatic fossil taxa of South Australia From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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Gehlingia dibrachida is a species of enigmatic Ediacaran organism from South Australia described by Mark McMenamin in 1998. Gehlingia has been described as having many characteristics of petalonamids, although it has been classified as a rather close relative of the Tribrachidium.[1] The overall shape of Gehlingia contradicts this affinity, however, with its shape being a more bilaterally symmetrical one although the basic structure similar to that of Tribrachidium appears in Gehlingia as separate branches extending into bifurcating minor branches[1] along with "thumb structures" that are apparent in Tribrachidium in the form of side bulges on an axis.[2]
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Etymology
The generic name honours the Australian palaeontologist specialising in Ediacaran fossils, James G. Gehling.[2]
Description
Gehlingia dibrachida represents a frond-like bilaterally symmetric organism with two fronds with each half of them having a swollen axis on an inner edge. The organism's axis bifurcated once and bifurcates towards the outer edge of its two fronds.[3] Similar deformations occur in both Tribrachidium and Gehlingia, some notable ones being delaying of the bifurcation and tubular structures being visible between the striae. A number of tubular structures emanate from the axis and are often either straight or curved.[3] A deep groove separates the two axes. The entire animal is estimated to have been 8 centimeters (3.1 in) in length and 3.1 centimeters (1.2 in) in width.[3] The tubular structures of the two "fronds" end abruptly and in turn form a smooth edge to the organism.[3]
In Gehlingia (as well as Tribrachidium) there are "thumb" structures that appear to have been positioned on the left and right side of the main branch.[1] In Tribrachidium, the thumb structures are visible as side bulges which extend out of an axis.[2]
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Further reading
- McMenamin, Mark (2000). "The Antiquity of Life: From Life's Origin to the End of the Lipalian Period". In Margulis, Lynn; Matthews, Clifford; Haselton, Aaron (eds.). Environmental Evolution: Effects of the Origin and Evolution of Life on Planet Earth (2nd ed.). Cambridge, Massachusetts and London, England: MIT Press. p. 165. ISBN 9780262631976. Retrieved 31 March 2025.
- Bechly, Günter (25 March 2021). "Examining Potential Other Trilobozoans". Evolution News and Science Today. Retrieved 31 March 2025.
See also
References
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