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]

Grandilingulata
Temporal range: Calymmian
Grandilingulata qianxiensis
Grandilingulata qianxiensis
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: incertae sedis
Genus: Grandilingulata
Chen et al, 2023
Species:
G. qianxiensis
Binomial name
Grandilingulata qianxiensis
Chen et al, 2023

Description

edit

Grandilingulata is a tongue-shaped fossil with gently curved sides, growing up to 30 cm in length and 8 cm in width.[2] As it dates from the earliest Mesoproterozoic, its exact classification is unknown beyond a probable eukaryotic affinity. It is known from twelve specimens, two from the uppermost section and ten from the middle section of the Gaoyuzhuang Formation.

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.