''Karakhtia nessovi'' is a species of
Proarticulate from the
Ediacaran
The Ediacaran ( ) is a geological period of the Neoproterozoic geologic era, Era that spans 96 million years from the end of the Cryogenian Period at 635 Million years ago, Mya to the beginning of the Cambrian Period at 538.8 Mya. It is the last ...
period, around 555 Million Years Ago. K. nessovi is the only species in the genus ''Karakhtia''.
The genus ''
Haootia'' has been compared minorly to ''Karakhtia'' in the way that the fossils of ''Haootia'' superficially resemble the crumpled margins of ''Karakhtia''.
Discovery and name
The
holotype
A holotype (Latin: ''holotypus'') is a single physical example (or illustration) of an organism used when the species (or lower-ranked taxon) was formally described. It is either the single such physical example (or illustration) or one of s ...
fossil of ''Karakhtia'' was found from the
Ustʹ Pinega Formation, in the White Sea of Russia, and described in 2004.
[
The generic name ''Karakhtia'' is derived from the place name ''Karakhta River'', near to where the fossil material was found. The specific name ''nessovi'' is derived from the surname of ''L.A. Nessov'', a Leningrad paleontologist.][
]
Description
''Karakhtia nessovi'' is a Proarticulate from the Vendiidae
Vendiamorpha
is a class of extinct animals within the Ediacaran phylum Proarticulata.
The typical vendiamorph had an oval-shaped or round-shaped body divided completely into segmented isomers, that were arranged alternately in two rows with r ...
family, growing up to in length, and like other members of its family, it has a headshield-like structure. Unlike anything seen in other Proarticulates, it features a margin with radial folds, giving it a frilly appearance.[
]
See also
* Vendiamorpha
Vendiamorpha
is a class of extinct animals within the Ediacaran phylum Proarticulata.
The typical vendiamorph had an oval-shaped or round-shaped body divided completely into segmented isomers, that were arranged alternately in two rows with r ...
* Vendia
''Vendia'' is an extinct vendiamorph from the late Ediacaran, estimated to be around 567 - 550 Ma years old, it contains two species, ''V. sokolovi'' and ''V. rachiata'', both of which are restricted to the Ust' Pinega Formation in Northwestern ...
* List of Ediacaran genera
The existence of life, especially that of animals, before the Cambrian had long been the subject of debate in paleontology. The apparent suddenness of the Cambrian explosion had no firm explanation, and Charles Darwin himself recognized the chal ...
References
Vendiamorpha
Ediacaran life
Ediacaran
Proarticulata
White Sea fossils
Taxa described in 2004
{{Ediacaran-stub