Chengjiang Fossil: Lobopodia???

pleecan (Peter Lee)
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Chengjiang Fossil: Lobopodia??? Dec 27, 2012 20:50:08 GMT -5

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Post by pleecan (Peter Lee) on Dec 27, 2012 20:50:08 GMT -5

Joe Botting
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Chengjiang Fossil: Lobopodia??? Dec 29, 2012 11:41:36 GMT -5

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Post by Joe Botting on Dec 29, 2012 11:41:36 GMT -5

That's a tricky one. It's not giving a lot away, and what it's showing is actually rather strange and doesn't immediately remind me of anything... I'm not seeing lobopod, though. I imagine you're thinking of it as being two very large limbs, rather than a long thin thing with lots of irregularly-shaped limbs? If so, it seems to have too many legs (by a mile) and they're too tightly squished together.

I think I can see (upper right) an axial trace that could be a gut, and the wrinkles go across it. On the lower left edge, there are a few clear outlines of what look like arthropod tergites (but can't be, as they disappear across the centre), and could possibly be parapodia. I'm not ruling anything in, out, or generally shaken about, but it seems possible to me that we're looking at a very folded, superimposed and otherwise awkwardly preserved annelid (which would be very unusual for Chengjiang, of course). I really don't think it is, but it's the best I can come up with so far...

How big is it?

pleecan (Peter Lee)
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Chengjiang Fossil: Lobopodia??? Dec 29, 2012 13:01:52 GMT -5

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Post by pleecan (Peter Lee) on Dec 29, 2012 13:01:52 GMT -5

Hi Joe: Thanks for the response. Dr X.Ma commented"Hi Peter,
I had a look at the photos, but it is difficult to tell if the fossil are a lobopodian. However, the appendages seem soft and bear annulations, so it is possible a fragment from a relatively large Chengjiang lobopodian." This was found at the edge of the trilo plate from Chengjang that I posted on the other thread. Size wise is ... wormy object is about 13mm.
PL

pleecan (Peter Lee)
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Chengjiang Fossil: Lobopodia??? Jan 6, 2013 10:31:18 GMT -5

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Post by pleecan (Peter Lee) on Jan 6, 2013 10:31:18 GMT -5