Thursday, March 01, 2007

Monophyletic Halwaxiids From The Burgess Shale

Halwaxiids and the Early Evolution of the Lophotrochozoans. 2007. S.C. Morris and J.-B. Caron. Sciene 315: 1255-1258.

Abstract: Halkieriids and wiwaxiids are cosmopolitan sclerite-bearing metazoans from the Lower and Middle Cambrian. Although they have similar scleritomes, their phylogenetic position is contested. A new scleritomous fossil from the Burgess Shale has the prominent anterior shell of the halkieriids but also bears wiwaxiid-like sclerites. This new fossil defines the monophyletic halwaxiids and indicates that they have a key place in early lophotrochozoan history.