Reconstructing early sponge relationships using the Burgess Shale fossil Eiffelia globosa, Walcott

Botting, J. P. and Butterfield, N. J. (2005) Reconstructing early sponge relationships using the Burgess Shale fossil Eiffelia globosa, Walcott. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 102 (5). pp. 1554-1559. DOI https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.0405867102

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Abstract

The relationships of the sponge classes are controversial, particularly between the calcareous and siliceous sponges. Specimens of the putative calcarean Eiffelia globosa Walcott from the Burgess Shale show the presence of diagnostic hexactinellid spicules integrated into the skeletal mesh. The arrangement of these spicules in Eiffelia is shown to be precisely equivalent to that of early protospongioid hexactinellids, and sponge growth occurred through an identical pattern to produce identical skeletal body morphology. The difference in spicule composition of the classes is interpreted through the observation of taphonomic features of Eiffelia that suggest the presence of at least two mineralogically distinct layers within the spicules. These results support molecular analyses that identify the calcarean-silicisponge transition as the earliest major sponge branch and suggest that the heteractinids were paraphyletic with respect to the Hexactinellida.

Item Type:	Article
Uncontrolled Keywords:	2005 PUBL 2005 AREP IA47
Subjects:	04 - Palaeobiology
Divisions:	04 - Palaeobiology
Journal or Publication Title:	Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences
Volume:	102
Page Range:	pp. 1554-1559
Identification Number:	https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.0405867102
Depositing User:	Sarah Humbert
Date Deposited:	02 Sep 2011 10:14
Last Modified:	23 Jul 2013 09:58
URI:	http://eprints.esc.cam.ac.uk/id/eprint/1587

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