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The first Furongian (late Cambrian) echinoderm from the British Isles

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  01 June 2012

SAMUEL ZAMORA*
Affiliation:
Department of Palaeontology, The Natural History Museum, Cromwell Road, London SW7 5BD, UK
*

Abstract

Furongian (late Cambrian) echinoderms are extremely rare in the fossil record and only two previous reports have been described from the Paibian Stage worldwide. Here, the third occurrence of an echinoderm from the Paibian, and the first ever reported in the Furongian of Britain is presented. It is a primitive pelmatozoan which shows intermediate characteristics between eocrinoids with columnal-bearing stems and primitive glyptocystitid rhombiferans. The palaeobiogeographic affinities of Cambrian echinoderm faunas from Britain, eastern Avalonia, are shown to be with Gondwana.

Type
Rapid Communication
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2012

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