Helenodora
| Helenodora Temporal range: Pennsylvanian
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| Fossil | |
Scientific classification 
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| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Stem group: | Onychophora |
| Genus: | †Helenodora Thompson and Jones, 1980 |
| Species: | †H. inopinata
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| Binomial name | |
| †Helenodora inopinata Thompson and Jones, 1980[1]
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Helenodora is an extinct basal onychophoran or lobopodian[2] genus known from the Carboniferous Carbondale Formation of Illinois.[3][2] The only known species described is H. inopinata. The ecology of this animal is not well known, but it is thought that it may have lived on land and/or underwater.[2]
Helenodora was suggested by some authors to be a junior synonym of Ilyodes Scudder 1890, a fossil genus that includes two species and was originally described as a myriapod. A re-examination of the type material of Helenodora inopinata and the Ilyodes species found significant differences between them. Additionally, neither species of Ilyodes were adequately diagnosed, so they and the genus are all considered nomina dubia.[2]
Discovery and naming
[edit]At the moment, Helenodora is known from eight specimens found in the Middle Pennsylvanian, Francis Creek Shale of the Carbondale Formation.[4][2] All were found in siderite concretions of the Mazon Creek fossil beds, a lagerstätte that contains animals like the famous Tully Monster.
The first specimens to be discovered were holotype and paratype (FMNH PE 29049 and FMNH PE 29050) and are composed of both a part and counterpart.[4]
The genus name “Helenodora” is Greek for “Helen’s gift”. This name honors Mrs. Helen Piecko of Chicago, Illinois for finding both the holotype and paratype. The species name “inopinata” is Latin and means “unexpected”.[4]
References
[edit]- ^ Thompson, I.; Jones, D. S. (May 1980). "A Possible Onychophoran from the Middle Pennsylvanian Mazon Creek Beds of Northern Illinois" (PDF). Journal of Paleontology. 54 (3): 588–596. Bibcode:1974JPal...48..524M. JSTOR 1304204.
- ^ a b c d e Murdock, D. J. E.; Gabbott, S. E.; Purnell, M. A. (2016). "The impact of taphonomic data on phylogenetic resolution: Helenodora inopinata (Carboniferous, Mazon Creek Lagerstätte) and the onychophoran stem lineage". BMC Evolutionary Biology. 16 (19): 19. Bibcode:2016BMCEE..16...19M. doi:10.1186/s12862-016-0582-7. PMC 4722706. PMID 26801389.
- ^ Poinar, G. (6 September 1996). "Fossil Velvet Worms in Baltic and Dominican Amber: Onychophoran Evolution and Biogeography". Science. 273 (5280): 1370–1371. Bibcode:1996Sci...273.1370P. doi:10.1126/science.273.5280.1370. S2CID 85373762.
- ^ a b c Thompson, Ida; Jones, Douglas S. (1980). "A Possible Onychophoran from the Middle Pennsylvanian Mazon Creek Beds of Northern Illinois". Journal of Paleontology. 54 (3): 588–596. ISSN 0022-3360.
External links
[edit]
Data related to Helenodora at Wikispecies
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