Miraluolishania

Miraluolishania
Temporal range: Early Cambrian
Diagrammatic reconstruction of Miraluolishania haikouensis
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
(unranked): Panarthropoda
Phylum: †"Lobopodia"
Family: †Luolishaniidae
Genus: †Miraluolishania
Liu & Shu, 2004

Miraluolishania is an extinct lobopodian known from Chengjiang County in China. It is remarkable for the possession of lensed pit-eyes.[1] The only species, Miraluolishania haikouensis, was described from the Maotianshan Shales at Haikou by Jianni Liu and Degan Shu in 2004.[2] In 2009, a team of palaeontologists at the Yunnan University, led by Xiaoya Ma reported the discovery of 42 other specimens from Haikou. With the help of Swiss palaeontologist Jan Bergström, Ma and Hou came to the conclusion that all the specimens were the same species (junior synonym) as Luolishania;[3] another lobopod discovered from the Chengjian in 1989.[4] Chengjian is 40 kms from Haikou and the fossil fauna are different. A reassessment by Liu and Shu's team at the Northwest University in 2008 established that Luolishania and Miraluolishania are distinct animals.[5]

  1. ^ Schoenemann, B.; Liu, J. N.; Shu, D. G.; Han, J.; Zhang, Z. F. (2008). "A miniscule [sic] optimized visual system in the Lower Cambrian". Lethaia. 42 (3): 265. doi:10.1111/j.1502-3931.2008.00138.x.
  2. ^ Liu, Jianni; Shu, Degan; Han, Jian; Zhang, Zhifei (2004). "A rare lobopod with well-preserved eyes from Chengjiang Lagerstätte and its implications for origin of arthropods". Chinese Science Bulletin. 49 (10): 1063–1071. Bibcode:2004ChSBu..49.1063L. doi:10.1007/BF03184038. S2CID 83710444.
  3. ^ Ma, Xiaoya; Hou, Xianguang; Bergström, Jan (2009). "Morphology of Luolishania longicruris (Lower Cambrian, Chengjiang Lagerstätte, SW China) and the phylogenetic relationships within lobopodians". Arthropod Structure & Development. 38 (4): 271–291. doi:10.1016/j.asd.2009.03.001. PMID 19293001.
  4. ^ Hou, Xian-guang; Chen, Jun-yuan (1989). "Early Cambrian arthropod-annelid intermediate sea animal, Luolishania gen. nov. from Chengjiang, Yunnan". Acta Palaeontologica Sinica. 28 (2): 207–213.
  5. ^ Liu, JianNi; Shu, DeGan; Han, Jian; Zhang, ZhiFei (2008). "Comparative study of Cambrian lobopods Miraluolishania and Luolishania". Chinese Science Bulletin. 53 (1): 87–93. Bibcode:2008ChSBu..53...87L. doi:10.1007/s11434-007-0428-1. S2CID 128619311.