Collinsium

Collinsium
Temporal range: Cambrian Stage 3–Middle Cambrian
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
(unranked): Panarthropoda
Stem group: Onychophora
Genus: Collinsium

Collinsium was a genus of lobopodian from the Early Cambrian.[1] It is represented by a single fossil species, Collinsium ciliosum, found in the Xiaoshiba Lagerstätte (Hongjingshao Formation) of China. Similar to the later Hallucigenia it was a small worm-like creature with spikes along its back and feeding tentacles near its head. Unlike Hallucigenia, Collinsium had 9 walking appendages and 6 fine anterior appendages. Its body was covered in hair-like papillae and its fine anterior appendages were lined with setae.[2] The generic name honors paleontologist Desmond Collins.

  1. ^ Zimmer, Carl (July 2, 2015). "The Cambrian Explosion's Strange-Looking Poster Child". The New York Times. Retrieved July 2, 2015.
  2. ^ Yang, Jie; Ortega-Hernández, Javier; Gerber, Sylvain; Butterfield, Nicholas J.; Hou, Jin-bo; Lan, Tian; Zhang, Xi-guang (June 29, 2015). "A superarmored lobopodian from the Cambrian of China and early disparity in the evolution of Onychophora". PNAS. 112 (28): 8678–8683. Bibcode:2015PNAS..112.8678Y. doi:10.1073/pnas.1505596112. PMC 4507230. PMID 26124122.