- Rangea
Taxobox
color = #taxobox colour|incertae sedis
fossil_range =Ediacaran , 558-545Ma [cite journal
author = Grazhdankin, Dima
year = 2004
title = Patterns of distribution in the Ediacaran biotas: facies versus biogeography and evolution
journal = Palæobiology
volume = 30
issue = 2
pages = 203–221
issn =
doi =
url = http://paleobiol.geoscienceworld.org/cgi/reprint/30/2/203.pdf
accessdate = 2007-03-08 ]
genus = "Rangea"
genus_authority = Gurich 1929
type_species = "R. schneiderhoehoni"
type_species_authority = Gurich 1929
subdivision_ranks = Species
subdivision =
*"R. arborea":Glaessner & Wade 1966
* "R. grandis":Glaessner & Wade 1966
* "R. longa":Glaessner & Wade 1966
* "R. schneiderhoehoni":Gürich 1929"Rangea" is
frond -likefossil of theEdiacaran period.The features found in "Rangea" are a double-layered quilted structure, a tripartite stemless body with fourfold radial symmetry, a mucous-supported sheath, smooth surface, radial membranes, and internal organs that are a system of sacs connected by a medial canal.
"Rangea" is relatively small in size.
There are four known species, "R. arborea", "R. grandis" and "R. longa" discovered by Glaessner & Wade in 1966, and also the original "Rangea schneiderhoehoni" discovered by Georg Gürich.
It is found in
Namibia and Mistaken Point, Newfoundland."Rangea" seems to have lived embedded in the surface of the sediment of the sea.
"Rangea" has been interpreted as a pennatulacean octocoral, a
sea pen , or amultinucleate eukaryotic cell.Similar organisms are "
Bomakellia " with fourfold symmetry, and "Thaumaptilon ", "Charnia ", "Charniodiscus ", "Paracharnia " which are other fronds.One classification scheme by Hans Pflug is class Rangeomorpha, family Rangeidae. An alternate scheme places it in the Petalonamae group. A generic term for these israngeomorph s which displayfractal branching (rather like afern ).ee also
*
Ediacaran biota References
*Glaessner, Martin F.; Wade, Mary 1966: The late Precambrian fossils from Ediacara, South Australia. Palaeontology 9 (4), pp. 599-628.
*Gürich, Georg 1930: Uber den Kuibisquarzit in Sudwestafrika, Zeitschrift der Deutschen Geologischen Gesellschaft v.82: p.637.
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