Timorebestia: Difference between revisions
add taxonbar |
→Description: Typo Tags: Mobile edit Mobile web edit Advanced mobile edit |
||
| Line 11: | Line 11: | ||
== Description == |
== Description == |
||
''Timorebestia'' has a |
''Timorebestia'' has a wide body marginally surrounded by continuous rayed fins: a pair of lateral fins and a rounded caudal fin. The anterior region is a short head, bearing a pair of [[Antenna (biology)|antennae]] as long as half of the body length. A ventral mouth opened between the head and trunk, with internal jaw apparatus consisting paired subtriangular elements, blunt anterior elements, and an unpaired anterior, possibly ventral or basal plate. Rows of longitudinal and transverse muscles surround the widen trunk region. The digestive tract terminates at the base of caudal fin. It also has a pair of well defined ventral [[ganglion]] that identifies it as a chaetognath, but was probably more basal to modern arrow worms than ''[[Amiskwia]]''.<ref name="Park2024" /> |
||
There are currently 13 known specimens assigned to this species, which range in size from 2.2 cm to 20 cm in body length.<ref name="Park2024" /> |
There are currently 13 known specimens assigned to this species, which range in size from 2.2 cm to 20 cm in body length.<ref name="Park2024" /> |
||
Revision as of 04:51, 7 January 2024
| Timorebestia koprii Temporal range:
| |
|---|---|
Scientific classification 
| |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chaetognatha |
| Genus: | †Timorebestia Park et al., 2024 |
| Species: | †T. koprii
|
| Binomial name | |
| †Timorebestia koprii Park et al., 2024
| |
Timorebestia koprii is an extinct species of stem-group chaetognath (arrow worm relative) that lived about 520 million years ago, in the Cambrian. It was first discovered in Greenland, more specifically in the Sirius Passet lagerstätte, and was first described in 2024.[1]
Description
Timorebestia has a wide body marginally surrounded by continuous rayed fins: a pair of lateral fins and a rounded caudal fin. The anterior region is a short head, bearing a pair of antennae as long as half of the body length. A ventral mouth opened between the head and trunk, with internal jaw apparatus consisting paired subtriangular elements, blunt anterior elements, and an unpaired anterior, possibly ventral or basal plate. Rows of longitudinal and transverse muscles surround the widen trunk region. The digestive tract terminates at the base of caudal fin. It also has a pair of well defined ventral ganglion that identifies it as a chaetognath, but was probably more basal to modern arrow worms than Amiskwia.[1]
There are currently 13 known specimens assigned to this species, which range in size from 2.2 cm to 20 cm in body length.[1]
Paleoecology
Compared to extant chaetognaths, that are planktonic and rarely grow beyond 10 cm, Timorebestia was much larger, up to 20 cm (30 cm when antennae included), and occupied a higher trophic level. This suggests that back in the Cambrian, chaetognaths constituted an important group of nektonic predators alongside various panarthropod groups like the radiodonts. It lived alongside other nektonic Sirius Passet fauna such as Kerygmachela, Kiisortoqia, Pauloterminus, Isoxys and so on. Some specimens with gut contents suggest it prey on the small and abundant arthropod Isoxys volucris.[1] Timorebestia is thought to be one of the earliest examples of an apex predator.[2]
Etymology
The genus name is derived from the Latin words timor (fear) and bestia (beast) which translates to "fear-causing beast". The species name is derived from the Korea Polar Research Institute, who has helped with the expeditions to the Lagerstätte.
References
- ^ a b c d Park, Tae-Yoon S.; Nielsen, Morten Lunde; Parry, Luke A.; Sørensen, Martin Vinther; Lee, Mirinae; Kihm, Ji-Hoon; Ahn, Inhye; Park, Changkun; De Vivo, Giacinto; Smith, M. Paul; Harper, David A. T.; Nielsen, Arne T.; Vinther, Jakob (2024). "A giant stem-group chaetognath". Science Advances. 10. doi:10.1126/sciadv.adi6678.
- ^ "'Giant' Predatory Worms Lived in Greenland Waters 518 Million Years Ago". Science News. 2024-01-04. Retrieved 2024-01-05.