Ceratophyton Explained

Ceratophyton is a genus of Cambrian acritarch, around 100–200 μm in length, produced by a eukaryotic (metazoan?) organism.

Affinity

Ceratophyton has been interpreted as an originally chitinous component of a metazoan. An arthropod relationship has been proposed,^[1] although on a more conservative view it is difficult to provide confident classification beyond saying that they are fragments of a eukaryote.^[2] Particular species, however, show promising similarity to the sclerites of modern priapulid worms.^[3]

Species

C. vernicosum

This species, the type, comprises a single unornamented cone.^[4] This species occurs in platform settings in western Russia in the Lontova and Lyukati horizons, first occurring in the local base of the 'Cambrian'.^{[2] [5]} In Poland it occurs from the base of the Cambrian (Platysolenites zone) to the Schmidtiellus zone.^[5]

It has been reported from the middle Cambrian of Belgium, although these specimens are short on diagnostic features.^[6]

It also occurs below the T. pedum zone, indicating the presence of the producer in the Ediacaran period.^[7]

C. circufuntum

This species is represented by single cones that have rings around their bases.

C. duplicum

This taxon has a double wall, resembling a pair of stacked cones; it may represent a taphomorph of C. vernicosum.

C. dumufuntum

This single cone has short conical spines, which occur on its basal region.This species is known from the mid-to-late Atdabanian siltstones of the Ouldburra formation of Australia.^{[7] [8]}

C. spinuconum

This species again comprises a single cone; it has spines and processes along both margins.

Differences from other taxa

Ceratophyton differs from the taxon Veryhachium in having a basal opening.^[2]

Notes and References

1. 10.1007/BF02988075. Lower Cambrian tubular micro-to macrofossils from the Paseky Shale of the Barrandian area (Czech Republic). Paläontologische Zeitschrift. 70. 3–4. 275. 1996. Steiner . M. . Fatka . O. I. . 1996PalZ...70..275S. 128966084.
2. 10.1016/j.precamres.2008.07.007. New records of late Ediacaran microbiota from Poland. Precambrian Research. 167. 1–2. 71–92. 2008. Moczydlowska . M. . 2008PreR..167...71M.
3. Butterfield . N. J. . Harvey . T. H. P. . Small carbonaceous fossils (SCFs): A new measure of early Paleozoic paleobiology . Geology . 40 . 71–74 . 2011 . 10.1130/G32580.1 .
4. Book: The Cambrian biostratigraphy of the Stansbury Basin, South Australia. 2001. Russian Academy of Sciences: Transactions of the Palaeontological Institute.
5. 10.1017/S0016756800009900. The Lower Cambrian Wrekin Quartzite and the age of its unconformity on the Ercall Granophyre. Geological Magazine. 130. 2. 257. 2009. Wright . A. E.. Fairchild . I. J.. Moseley . F.. Downie . C.. 128393051.
6. NEW BIOSTRATIGRAPHIC AND CHRONOSTRATIGRAPHIC DATA FROM THE SAUTOU FORMATION AND ADJACENT STRATA (CAMBRIAN, GIVONNE INLIER, REVIN GROUP, NORTHERN FRANCE) AND SOME LITHOSTRATIGRAPHIC AND TECTONIC IMPLICATIONS. Geologica Belgica . 2005 . 8. 4. 131–144. Michel VANGUESTAINE. Renaud LÉONARD. amp.
7. Jago . J. B. . Zang . W. L. . Sun . X. . Brock . G. A. . Paterson . J. R. . Skovsted . C. B. . A review of the Cambrian biostratigraphy of South Australia . . 15 . 3–4 . 406 . 2006 . 10.1016/j.palwor.2006.10.014 .
8. 10.1080/08120090600686736. Deposition and chemical composition of early Cambrian salt in the eastern Officer Basin, South Australia. Australian Journal of Earth Sciences. 53. 4. 577. 2006. Kovalevych . V. M.. Zang . W. -L. . Peryt . T. M.. Khmelevska . O. V.. Halas . S.. Iwasinska-Budzyk . I.. Boult . P. J.. Heithersay . P. S.. 2006AuJES..53..577K. 140600170.