Description

Palaeoscolecid Worm

Upper Cambrian (Mindyallan)
Radfords Creek Group
Riana, Tasmania, Australia
20mm and 17mm on 50mm slab.  We have never seen anything like this from the Cambrian of the Southern Hemisphere before. Look closely and you will see very fine detail.

This worm is related to Palaeoscolex, a genus of extinct worm known from isolated sclerites at some localities and from occasional body impressions in a few others. It’s known from the Cambrian of Russia, China, North America (Utah) and the Early Ordovician of Morocco. This Tasmanian find extends the chronologic and paleogeographic range of the group.

We tend to think of all worms belonging to the same group but appearances can be deceiving. Many animals that look alike actually represent more than one phylum – more than one ancestry. This one remains to be assigned to a genus. As a larger group, it appears palaeoscolecid have yet to be assigned to a particular phylum.