Understanding form and function of the stem in early flattened echinoderms (pleurocystitids) using a microstructural approach

PeerJ

article

Przemysław Gorzelak¹  Samuel Zamora² 

[1] Department of Biogeology, Institute of Paleobiology, Polish Academy of Sciences;Instituto Geológico y Minero de España;National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution

关键词: Blastozoa;    Stereom;    Canada;    Paleozoic;    Palaeoanatomy;    Rhombifera;    Ordovician;   

DOI  :  10.7717/peerj.1820

学科分类：社会科学、人文和艺术（综合）

来源: Inra

【 摘 要 】

Pleurocystitid rhombiferans are among the most unusual echinoderms whose mode of life has been long debated. These echinoderms are usually interpreted as vagile epibenthic echinoderms, moving over the sea bottom by means of a flexible stem. Although their life habits and posture are reasonably well understood, the mechanisms that control the movement of stem are highly controversial. Specifically, it is unknown whether the stem flexibility was under the control of muscles or ligamentary mutable collagenous tissues (MCTs). Here, we reconstruct palaeoanatomy of the two Ordovician pleurocystitid rhombiferans (Pleurocystites and Amecystis) based on stereom microstructure. We show that the articular facets of columnals in pleurocystitid rhombiferans are composed of fine labyrinthic stereom. Comparison with modern echinoderms suggests that this type of stereom was associated with muscles implying that their stem was a muscular locomotory organ supporting an active mode of life.

【 授权许可】

CC BY