<i>Kaljoprion</i> – a new enigmatic jawed polychaete genus from the Upper Ordovician of Estonia

<i>Kaljoprion</i> – a new enigmatic jawed polychaete genus from the Upper Ordovician of Estonia

A new Late Ordovician polychaete genus <i>Kaljoprion</i>, with <i>K. laevaensis</i> gen. et sp. nov. as the type species, is described from the Nabala Regional Stage of the Laeva-18 drill core, central Estonia. The genus has a labidognath-type apparatus with the first and sec...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Author: Hints, Olle
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Estonian Academy Publishers 2008-12-01
Series:Estonian Journal of Earth Sciences
Subjects:
scolecodonts
jawed polychaetes
taxonomy
convergent evolution
Late Ordovician
Estonia
Online Access:http://eap.ee/public/Estonian_Journal_of_Earth_Sciences/2008/issue_4/earth-2008-4-256-259.pdf
Description
Summary:A new Late Ordovician polychaete genus <i>Kaljoprion</i>, with <i>K. laevaensis</i> gen. et sp. nov. as the type species, is described from the Nabala Regional Stage of the Laeva-18 drill core, central Estonia. The genus has a labidognath-type apparatus with the first and second maxillae equipped with anterior denticles developed into characteristic transversal ridges. Similar dentaries are observed in the jaws of distantly related <i>Rhytiprion</i>, suggesting a common feeding habit of both genera and representing a case of convergent evolution among Palaeozoic polychaetes.
ISSN:1736-4728

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