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Specimen Details
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Additional Information
Description:
Yuganotheca elegans gen. et sp. nov. is an intriguing tubular fossil from the early Cambrian period, specifically found in the Chengjiang Lagerstätte in Yunnan, China. This organism displays a unique combination of features reminiscent of phoronids, brachiopods, and tommotiids. Notably, it possesses a pair of unmineralized, agglutinated valves enclosing a horseshoe-shaped lophophore, and is supported by a lower bipartite tubular attachment structure. The discovery of Yuganotheca elegans has significant implications for understanding the early evolution of lophotrochozoans, shedding light on the origin of the brachiopod body plan and the development of their bivalved structure prior to shell valve biomineralization.
