Combining soft-bodied and three-dimensional fossils to reveal evolutionary modifications in early lingulellotretid brachiopods.

ABSTRACT: Living lingulide brachiopods are traditionally recognised as representatives of evolutionary conservatism, showing little change in general-morphology from their Cambrian ancestors. However, less attention has been given to their anatomical and ontogenetic modifications since their initial appearance. Among these, lingulellotretids are unique, characterized by their typical elongate pedicle foramen and large pseudointerarea. This study describes exquisitely preserved soft-tissue and phosphatic shells of Lingulellotreta from Cambrian Series 2 deposits in China and Kazakhstan. Biomineralized novelties in Lingulellotreta, including elongate pseudointerarea forming a pouch-like visceral cavity and columnar shell architecture, probably were evolutionarily modified from the unmineralized tubular

SUBMITTER: Chen F 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12669706 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature