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New exceptionally-preserved panarthropods from the Drumian Wheeler Konservat-Lagerstätte of the House Range of Utah

Cite this dataset

Lerosey-Aubril, Rudy et al. (2020). New exceptionally-preserved panarthropods from the Drumian Wheeler Konservat-Lagerstätte of the House Range of Utah [Dataset]. Dryad. https://doi.org/10.5061/dryad.v6wwpzgr6

Abstract

The Drumian Wheeler Konservat-Lagerstätte of the House Range of Utah (Wheeler-HR) has yielded one of the most diverse exceptionally-preserved Cambrian biotas of North America. The discovery of soft-bodied fossils invariably provides precious insights on this remarkable Miaolingian biota, for most of its non-biomineralizing components are known from very few specimens. This contribution describes some 30 new exceptionally-preserved fossils of Wheeler panarthropods. Two new species are recognized, the radiodont Hurdia sp. nov. A and the megacheiran Kanoshoia rectifrons gen. et sp. nov. Along with a species of Leanchoilia, K. rectifrons represent the first confident megacheiran record in these strata. The radiodont genus Amplectobelua and the isoxyid species Isoxys longissimus are also reported for the first time in Laurentia outside of the Burgess Shale. New specimens of Caryosyntrips serratus, Naraoia compacta, Messorocaris magna, and Mollisonia symmetrica provide insights on the phylogenetic affinities, local spatial distribution, and morphological variation of these species hitherto known by single specimens in the Wheeler-HR. The same is true of new materials of the more common Pahvantia hastata and Perspicaris? dilatus. Lastly, the preservation of body structures other than the dorsal exoskeletons is illustrated for the first time in two common components of the fauna: the agnostid Itagnostus interstrictus and the bivalved euarthropod Pseudoarctolepis sharpi. The new material substantially improves our understanding of the diversity of the Wheeler-HR biota, and provides new evidence of its distinctiveness relative to the Wheeler biota of the Drum Mountains.

Usage notes

Supplementary Tables 1-4

Funding

Wetmore Colles Fund, Award: 30-10-2019