Burgessomedusa
Burgessomedusa Temporal range:
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Genus: | Burgessomedusa Moon, Caron & Moysiuk, 2023
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Burgessomedusa phasmiformis Moon, Caron & Moysiuk, 2023
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Burgessomedusa is an
Etymology
Genus is a compound name wherein "Burgess" pertains to the geographical area Burgess Shale, and the Latin word medusa relates to the taxonomic group Medusozoa. While the species name phasmiformis is from the combination of the Greek "phasma" and the Latin "forma" words, referring to the ghostly shape of the umbrella.[2][1] The authors stated that the species name was an oblique reference to the ghosts in the video game Pac-Man.[3]
Morphology
The genus exhibits a cuboidal bell-shaped umbrella, where the width spans around 40% of the umbrella's vertical dimension. More than 90 tentacles resembling fingers are distributed along the edge of the
The central part known as the
Ecology
Burgessomedusa is likely to have swum using a rowing propulsion, with jet propulsion being unlikely due to a lack of structures restricting the opening. Its association with benthic species suggests that it spent at least some of its time close to the ocean floor. It was likely an active predator based on the similar shape of its bell with that of living box jellyfish.[1]
Classification
The study of
Discovery
This research, which identifies Burgessomedusa, relies on ancient remains found in the Burgess Shale's Raymond Quarry. Researchers found 182 fossils that were mainly unearthed during the late 1980s and 1990s under the supervision of
Burgessomedusa fossils are remarkably well conserved within the Burgess Shale, despite jellyfish being approximately 95% water. The Royal Ontario Museum has publicized the identification of the Burgessomedusa phasmiformis as the earliest documented swimming jellyfish in the fossil archive. This breakthrough was officially documented in the journal Proceedings of the Royal Society B.[5]
ROM visitors have the opportunity to observe some of the fossils belonging to Burgessomedusa phasmiformis showcased in the Burgess Shale division of the Willner Madge Gallery, Dawn of Life since its inauguration in 2021.[6]
See also
References
- ^ PMID 37528711.
- ^ a b c d Pskhun (2023-08-04). "Species New to Science: [Paleontology • 2023] Burgessomedusa phasmiformis • A Macroscopic Free-swimming Medusa (Cnidaria: Medusozoa) from the middle Cambrian Burgess Shale". Species New to Science. Retrieved 2023-08-10.
- ^ Ly, Chen. "Oldest adult jellyfish fossil ever found is over 500 million years old". New Scientist. Retrieved 2023-08-10.
- ^ "A 505-million-year-old jellyfish has been discovered". BBC Newsround. 2023-08-03. Retrieved 2023-08-09.
- ^ "Paleontologists Identify Oldest Known Species of Free-Swimming Jellyfish | Sci.News". Sci.News: Breaking Science News. 2023-08-02. Retrieved 2023-08-10.
- ^ "Burgessomedusa phasmiformis - GKToday". www.gktoday.in. Retrieved 2023-08-10.