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A New Spheromorphic Problematic of the Genus Gaparella from the Lower Cambrian of Western Mongolia

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Abstract

A new problematic spheromorphic microfossil Gaparella elenae sp. nov. is described from the lower Tommotian (Lower Cambrian) in the Hevte-Tsakhir-Nuruu Ridge, Western Mongolia, and a new combination Gaparella kuanchuanpuensis (Qian, 1977) is proposed. Despite its very peculiar morphology, the genus Gaparella Missarzhevsky in Missarzhevsky and Mambetov, 1981 is usually considered as a junior synonym of the genus Archaeooides Qian, 1977. The taphonomic variability of Mongolian specimens of Gaparella is demonstrated, and their morphology is reconstructed: these were hollow spheres, with a thin perforated double-layered wall; with a system of cavities between the pores, which were scattered on small elevations, with a system of canals in between; the wall may have been organic with an admixture of mineral components. These fossils were probably planktonic filter feeders. Their level of organization appears to be consistent with Porifera; most likely these were juvenile forms.

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ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

Many thanks to colleagues from the Paleontological Institute, Russian Academy of Sciences: E.A. Zhegallo for providing unique material and diverse consultations, Academician A.Yu. Rozanov and Academician M.A. Fedonkin for general guidance on the research topic and fruitful discussion of the material, L.V. Zaitseva for conducting geochemical examination, A.Yu. Ivantsov for critical reading of the manuscript and valuable comments, R.A. Rakitov for help with microscopic work, Yu.E. Demidenko, P.Yu. Parkhaev and A.L. Ragozina for help with the references, F.A. Lozovoy for advice in statistical processing of the material, A.F. Bannikov, V.V. Mitta and T.V. Kuznetsova (Moscow State University), for advice on nomenclature issues.

Funding

The work was supported by the Russian Foundation for Basic Research (project no. 20-55-44010 Mong_a).

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  1. Borissiak Paleontological Institute, Russian Academy of Sciences, 117647, Moscow, Russia

    E. A. Luzhnaya

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  1. E. A. Luzhnaya
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Translated by S. Nikolaeva

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Luzhnaya, E.A. A New Spheromorphic Problematic of the Genus Gaparella from the Lower Cambrian of Western Mongolia. Paleontol. J. 58, 144–150 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1134/S0031030123600282

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