Panlongia Explained

Panlongia was a small-sized (up to 2 cm) marine arthropod, with an oval-shaped non-calcified exoskeleton. Both the head shield (or cephalon) and the tail shield (or pygidium) are semi-circular. In between the cephalon and pygidium are four thoracic body segments (somites). The cephalon occupies approximately ⅓ of the body length, the thorax ¼ and pygidium about 45%. Panlongia lived during the late Lower Cambrian (Botomian) in what is today South China. In Panlongia spinosa the edge of the exoskeleton carries several small sawtooth-like spines, that are absent in P. tetranodusa.[1]

Distribution

Taxonomy

The phylogenetic position of Panlongia remains uncertain, because the appendages remain unknown sofar. Panlongia cannot yet with confidence be assigned to the Helmetiida or the Nektaspida,[2] as was initially suggested.[1]

Ecology

Panlongia tetranodusa occurs with the coeloscleritophoran Allonia sp., the vetulicolian Vetulicola gangtoucunensis, lingulate brachiopods Lingulellotreta malongensis, Diandongia pista, Acrothele rara, and Westonia gubaiensis; dinocaridid Houcaris saron, hyolith Linevitus malongensis, eocrinoid Wudingeocrinus rarus, Trilobites Redlichia yunnanensis, R. mansuyi, R. noetlingi, R. conica, R. shijiangjunensis, Palaeolenus douvillei, and P. lantenoisi; crustaceans: Tuzoia sinensis, T. tylodesa, Branchiocaris sp., Liangshanella liangshanensis, and Neokunmingella sp., and several other arthropods like Longquania bispinosa, Guangweicaris spinatus; Leanchoilia illecebrosa, Isoxys minor, I. wudingensis and Gangtoucunia aspera.[1]

See also

Notes and References

  1. Liu. Q.. Luo. H.-L.. Chen. L.-Z.. Lu. S.-X.. 2006. Panlongia, a new trilobitomorph genus from the Lower Cambrian, Kunming, Yunnan. Acta Palaeontologica Sinica. 45. 384–392.
  2. John R. Paterson . Gregory D. Edgecombe . Diego C. García-Bellido . James B. Jago . James G. Gehling . amp . 2010. Nektaspid arthropods from the Lower Cambrian Emu Bay Shale Lagerstätte, South Australia, with a reassessment of lamellipedian relationships. Palaeontology. 53. Part 2. 377 - 402. 10.1111/j.1475-4983.2010.00932.x. free.