Grandilingulata

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Grandilingulata
Temporal range: Calymmian
Scientific classification
Domain:
Kingdom:
Genus:
Grandilingulata

Chen et al, 2023
Type species
Grandilingulata qianxiensis
Chen et al, 2023

Grandilingulata is a Calymmian organism, found in the Gaoyuzhuang Formation of China. It has been tentatively placed inside Eukaryota due to its complexity and size, alongside other fossils from the formation.[1]

Description[edit]

Grandilingulata is a tongue-shaped fossil, growing up to 30 cm in length and 4 cm in width.[2] As it dates from the earliest Mesoproterozoic, its exact classification is unknown beyond a probable eukaryotic affinity.

Etymology[edit]

The genus name Grandilingulata means "large tongue", referring both to its tongue-like shape and its large size for organisms of the time period. The specific name qianxiensis refers to the location of a newly discovered fossiliferous location in Qianxi County, Hebei.[1]

References[edit]

  1. ^ a b Chen, Kai; Miao, Lanyun; Zhao, Fangchen; Zhu, Maoyan (15 July 2023). "Carbonaceous macrofossils from the early Mesoproterozoic Gaoyuzhuang Formation in the Yanshan Range, North China". Precambrian Research. 392. Bibcode:2023PreR..39207074C. doi:10.1016/j.precamres.2023.107074.
  2. ^ Zhu, Shixing; Zhu, Maoyan; Knoll, Andrew H. (17 May 2016). "Decimetre-scale multicellular eukaryotes from the 1.56-billion-year-old Gaoyuzhuang Formation in North China". Nature Communications. 7: 11500. Bibcode:2016NatCo...711500Z. doi:10.1038/ncomms11500. PMC 4873660. PMID 27186667.