Archaeopriapulida is a group of
priapulid
Priapulida (priapulid worms, from Gr. πριάπος, ''priāpos'' 'Priapus' + Lat. ''-ul-'', diminutive), sometimes referred to as penis worms, is a phylum of unsegmented marine worms. The name of the phylum relates to the Greek god of fertility ...
worms known from
Cambrian
The Cambrian ( ) is the first geological period of the Paleozoic Era, and the Phanerozoic Eon. The Cambrian lasted 51.95 million years from the end of the preceding Ediacaran period 538.8 Ma (million years ago) to the beginning of the Ordov ...
lagerstätte
A Fossil-Lagerstätte (, from ''Lager'' 'storage, lair' '' Stätte'' 'place'; plural ''Lagerstätten'') is a sedimentary deposit that preserves an exceptionally high amount of palaeontological information. ''Konzentrat-Lagerstätten'' preserv ...
.
The group is closely related to, and very similar to, the modern Priapulids.
It is unclear whether it is mono- or polyphyletic.
Despite a remarkable morphological similarity to their modern cousins,
they fall outside of the priapulid
crown group
In phylogenetics, the crown group or crown assemblage is a collection of species composed of the living representatives of the collection, the most recent common ancestor of the collection, and all descendants of the most recent common ancestor ...
, which is not unambiguously represented in the fossil record until the Carboniferous.
In addition to well-preserved body fossils, remains of several archaeopriapulid taxa are known to have been preserved primarily as organic microfossils, such as isolated scalids and pharyngeal teeth. They are probably closely related or paraphyletic to the
palaeoscolecid
The palaeoscolecids are a group of extinct ecdysozoan worms resembling armoured priapulids. They are known from the Lower Cambrian to the lower Ludfordian (late Silurian); they are mainly found as disarticulated sclerites, but are also preserved ...
s; the relationship between these basal worms is somewhat unresolved.
[
]
Species
* Genus ''Acosmia
''Acosmia'' is an extinct genus of marine worm from the Cambrian aged Chengjiang biota of Yunnan, China. It is represented by a single rare species, ''Acosmia maotiania'', that reached 45 mm in length and 9 mm in width. It was likely a burrowin ...
'' Chen & Zhoi 1997 (Chengjiang deposits)
** '' Acosmia maotiania'' Chen & Zhoi 1997
* Genus ''Archotuba
''Archotuba'' is a genus of elongated conical tubes that were seemingly deposited by colonial organisms. Known from the Chengjiang, its biological affinity is uncertain; it somewhat resembles the tubes of the 'priapulid' ''Selkirkia'', but a cni ...
'' Hou ''et al''. 1999 (possibly a Cnidarian
Cnidaria ( ) is a phylum under kingdom Animalia containing over 11,000 species of aquatic invertebrates found both in fresh water, freshwater and marine environments (predominantly the latter), including jellyfish, hydroid (zoology), hydroids, ...
) (Chengjiang deposits)
** '' Archotuba conoidalis'' Hou ''et al''. 1999
* Genus '' Baltiscalida'' Slater ''et al''. 2017
** '' Baltiscalida njorda'' Slater ''et al''. 2017
* Genus '' Eopriapulites'' Liu & al 2014
** '' Eopriapulites sphinx'' Liu & al 2014
* Genus ''Eximipriapulus
''Eximipriapulus'' is a genus of priapulid-like organisms, perhaps belonging to the crown group, known from the Chengjiang biota.
Paleoecology
Eximipriapulus is known to live inside Hyolith shells. It is also an active burrower and is carni ...
'' Ma ''et al''. 2014 (Chengjiang deposits) nomen dubium
In binomial nomenclature, a ''nomen dubium'' (Latin for "doubtful name", plural ''nomina dubia'') is a scientific name that is of unknown or doubtful application.
Zoology
In case of a ''nomen dubium,'' it may be impossible to determine whether a ...
(Chengjiang deposits)Sirius Passet
Sirius Passet is a Cambrian Lagerstätte in Peary Land, Greenland. The Sirius Passet Lagerstätte was named after the Slædepatruljen Sirius, Sirius sledge patrol that operates in North Greenland. It comprises six places in Nansen Land, on the eas ...
)
** '' Singuuriqia simoni'' Peel 2017
* Genus '' Sullulika'' Peel & Willman, 2018
** '' Sullulika broenlundi'' Peel & Willman, 2018
* Genus '' Vladipriapulus'' Ivantsov et al. 2005 ( Sinsk Formation)
** '' Vladipriapulus malakhovi'' Ivantsov et al. 2005
* Genus '' Xishania'' Hong 1981
** '' Xishania fusiformis'' Hong 1981
** '' Xishania jiangxiensis'' Hong 1988
* Genus '' Paratubiluchus'' Han, Shu, Zhang et Liu, 2004 (Chengjiang deposits)
** '' Paratubiluchus bicaudatus'' Han, Shu, Zhang et Liu, 2004
* Genus '' Xiaoheiqingella'' Hu 2002
** '' Xiaoheiqingella peculiaris'' Hu 2002 'Yunnanpriapulus halteroformis'' Huang ''et al''. 2004(Chengjiang deposits)
* Genus '' Priapulites'' Schram 1973 (Mazon Creek)
** '' Priapulites konecniorum'' Schram 1973
* Family Palaeopriapulitidae Hou ''et al''. 1999
** Genus '' Sicyophorus'' Luo & Hu 1999 (Chengjiang deposits)Selkirkia
''Selkirkia'' is a genus of predatory, tubicolous priapulid worms known from the Middle Cambrian Burgess Shale, Ogygopsis Shale, Puncoviscana Formation and the Early Ordovician Fezouata Formation. 142 specimens of ''Selkirkia'' are known from th ...
'' Walcott 1911
*** '' Selkirkia elongata'' Luo & Hu 1999 (Chengjiang deposits)
*** '' Selkirkia columbia'' Walcott 1911 (Burgess Shale)
*** '' Selkirkia pennsylvanica'' Resser & Howell 1938
*** '' Selkirkia spencei'' Resser 1939
*** '' Selkirkia tsering'' Nanglu & Ortega-Hernández 2024
*** '' Selkirkia willoughbyi'' Conway Morris & Robison 1986
* Order Ancalagonida Adrianov & Malakhov 1995 (stem Scalidophora
Scalidophora is a group of marine pseudocoelomate ecdysozoans that was proposed on morphological grounds to unite three phyla: the Kinorhyncha, the Priapulida and the Loricifera. The three phyla have four characters in common — chitinous cuti ...
)Ottoiidae
''Ottoia'' is a stem-group Archaeopriapulida, archaeopriapulid worm known from Cambrian fossils. Although priapulid-like worms from various Cambrian deposits are often referred to ''Ottoia'' on spurious grounds, the only clear ''Ottoia'' macrofos ...
Walcott 1911
*** Genus '' Ottoia'' Walcott 1911
**** '' Ottoia cylindrica'' Sun & Hou 1987
**** '' Ottoia guizhouenis'' Yang, Zhao & Zhang 2016
**** '' Ottoia prolifica'' Walcott 1911 (Burgess Shale)
**** '' Ottoia tenuis'' Walcott 1911
**** '' Ottoia tricuspida'' Smith, Harvey & Butterfield 2015
** Family Corynetidae Huang, Vannier & Chen 2004
*** Genus ''Corynetis
''Corynetis'' is a genus of archaeopriapulid known from the Chengjiang biota, and a senior synonym of ''Anningvermis multispinosus''.
References
Priapulida
Prehistoric protostome genera
Cambrian genus extinctions
{{Cambrian-animal- ...
'' Luo & Hu 1999
**** '' Corynetis brevis'' Luo & Hu 1999 ) (Chengjiang deposits)
**** ''Corynetis fortis">'Anningvermis multispinosus'' Huang ''et al''. 2004
) (Chengjiang deposits)
**** ''Corynetis fortis''
Hu ''et al''. 2012 (Chengjiang deposits)
**** ''Corynetis pusillus''
Klug 1842
** Family Miskoiidae
Walcott 1911
*** Genus ''Louisella''
Conway Morris 1977 (Burgess Shale)
**** ''Louisella pedunculata''
(Walcott 1911) Conway Morris 1977
*** Genus ''
Miskoia''
Walcott 1911
**** ''
Miskoia placida''
Walcott 1931
**** ''
Miskoia preciosa''
Walcott 1911
References
{{Taxonbar, from=Q4785523
Priapulida