An obolellate brachiopod with soft-part preservation from the early cambrian chengjiang fauna of China

摘要: The obolellates represent a poorly understood group of the oldest known cosmopolitan calcareous rhynchonelliform brachiopods. They made their first appearance in early Atdabanian and became extinct at end Middle Cambrian. Consequently, any information concerning soft anatomy this ephemeral lineage brachiopods has great phylogenetic significance. This is report on two specimens an obolellate with fine preservation parts including pedicle, marginal setae possible imprints spiral lophophore, recovered from Cambrian Chengjiang Konservat Lagerstatte Kunming, southern China. are thin densely fringed along shell margin. stout pedicle distinctly composed stacked tabular bodies, lacking central coelomic lumen; it emerges through foramen, slightly tapers posteriorly distal attached to exoskeletons other organisms.