Shucaris (IPA: [ʃuˈkaː.ris]) (meaning "Shu's shrimp") is a genus of radiodont of uncertain taxonomic placement from the Lower Cambrian Maotianshan Shales in Yunnan, South China. The type and only species is S. ankylosskelos, known from multiple specimens comprising frontal appendages, multiple endites, gnathobase‐like structures, a nearly complete body, a head carapace complex, and one body flap associated with setal blades.[1]
| Shucaris Temporal range:
Early Cambrian, | |
|---|---|
| |
| MicroCT of the holotype, a frontal appendage | |
Scientific classification 
| |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Class: | †Dinocaridida |
| Order: | †Radiodonta |
| Genus: | †Shucaris Wu et al., 2024 |
| Species: | †S. ankylosskelos
|
| Binomial name | |
| †Shucaris ankylosskelos Wu et al., 2024
| |
Description
editShucaris is known from multiple specimens which were all referred to S. ankylosskelos by Wu et al. (2024). The holotype, JS-0972B, consists of an isolated frontal appendage. The paratypes, JS-1950 and JS-0658, comprise a nearly complete body specimen and one partial disarticulated gnathobase-like structure, and a head carapace complex and one body flap associated with setal blades, respectively.[1]
Appendage morphology
edit-
3D reconstruction of Shucaris frontal appendages -
Turntable animation of Shucaris appendages
-
Turntable animation of the first DAR podomere
Shucaris appendages consist of 2 shaft podomeres and 15 distal articulated region podomeres, they're usually found curved. Podomere height decreases distally, with endites roughly the same size as them. Its endites show pairing and curve posteriorly inward on DAR 2-6 podomeres; they also bear four auxiliary spines (3 on the inner endite margin and one small spine on the outer endite margin) that increase in size ventrally, with the two spines positioned the highest potentially paired; this pairing is observable in the 5th and 6th DAR podomere. The auxiliary spines seem not to be present after the 9th DAR podomere. The 1st DAR podomere shows characteristics that are unusual for radiodonts. It bears two pairs of endites lying on the same lateral axis, with one pair in between the other. The outer pair curves distally, while the inner pair is mostly straight and points posteriorly. Both pairs bear a single auxiliary spine on each endite on their distal margin. DAR podomeres 12–15 have dorsal spines, with the largest one on the 14th podomere. The 14th DAR podomere also bears a secondary dorsal spine pair. The terminal spine is paired, which isn't observed in any other known radiodonts.[1]
Etymology
editThe generic name is Shucaris (IPA: [ʃuˈkaː.ris]). 'Shu' honours Professor Degan Shu, the pioneer in the research on the Chengjiang biota and the academic leader of the Early Life Research Team at Northwest University. 'Caris', translating to ‘shrimp’ from Latin, is a commonly used suffix for marine euarthropods. The specific name, ankylosskelos (IPA: [aŋkylosːtɛgɔs]), derives from the Greek words for 'curved' and 'leg' respectively, alluding to the curved frontal appendage.[1]
Classification
editIn previous studies, Shucaris was referred to as "Radiodont C" and has been recovered as an amplectobeluid[2] and a basal anomalocaridid.[3] The results of some of these papers' phylogenetic studies have been reproduced below:
Wu et al. (2024) recovered Shucaris as a radiodont of uncertain relation—often as a member of the Anomalocarididae—in their phylogenetic analyses.[1] Their results are shown below:
Despite this however, Wu et al., (2024) discuss novel features Shucaris possesses such as "more podomeres in the claw region than all amplectobeluids and most anomalocaridids", leading them to recover Shucaris as "the most basal taxon within Anomalocarididae or a sister taxon to the clade comprising amplectobeluids and anomalocaridids".[1]
Paleobiology
editShucaris had an abnormally small oral cone, suggesting that it likely chewed up prey with its gnathobase-like structures and then swallowed it. This implies that it had a similar diet to amplectobeluids, with both being nektobenthic predators consuming hard-shelled prey.
References
edit- ^ a b c d e f Wu, Yu; Pates, Stephen; Liu, Cong; Zhang, Mingjing; Lin, Weiliang; Ma, Jiaxin; Wu, Yuheng; Chai, Shu; Zhang, Xiangliang; Fu, Dongjing (16 July 2024). "A new radiodont from the lower Cambrian (Series 2 Stage 3) Chengjiang Lagerstätte, South China informs the evolution of feeding structures in radiodonts". Taylor & Francis Online. 22 (1). doi:10.1080/14772019.2024.2364887. Retrieved 17 July 2024.
- ^ a b McCall, Christian (13 December 2023). "A large pelagic lobopodian from the Cambrian Pioche Shale of Nevada". Journal of Paleontology. 97 (5): 1009–1024. Bibcode:2023JPal...97.1009M. doi:10.1017/jpa.2023.63. Retrieved 13 December 2023.
- ^ a b Zeng, Han; Zhao, Fangchen; Zhu, Maoyan (7 September 2022). "Innovatiocaris, a complete radiodont from the early Cambrian Chengjiang Lagerstätte and its implications for the phylogeny of Radiodonta". Journal of the Geological Society. 180. doi:10.1144/jgs2021-164. ISSN 0016-7649. S2CID 252147346.