''Vaveliksia'' is an extinct genus of
Ediacaran
The Ediacaran Period ( ) is a geological period that spans 96 million years from the end of the Cryogenian Period 635 million years ago (Mya), to the beginning of the Cambrian Period 538.8 Mya. It marks the end of the Proterozoic Eon, and th ...
Sponge-like organism with a long, tubular-shaped body and a attachment disk similar to that of
Petalonamids. The ''Vaveliksia'' genus contained two species, ''Vaveliksia velikanovi'' (which honours Vyacheslav A. Velikanov, a Ukrainian geologist) as well as ''Vaveliksia vana'' (with "vana" meaning ''incorporeal in Latin'').
The two species vary in appearance to one another, with ''V. velikanovi'' having a more tubular-shaped, sack-like morphology with a crown of wrinkles on top of one of its ends as well as possessing a much more disk-like holdfast
with ''V. vana'' having an appearance more similar to that of a
Poriferan, with ''V. vana'' having a much more dome-shaped holdfast and a capsule-like body with no crown of wrinkles unlike ''V. velikanovi''.
Etymology
The generic epithet ''Vaveliksia'' and specific epithet of the type species ''V. velikanovi'' honor the Ukrainian geologist, Vyacheslav A. Velikanov.
The specific epithet of ''V. vana'' comes from the Latin ''vana'', "incorporeal."
Occurrence
''Vaveliksia velikanovi'' fossils were found in the Lomozov Beds of the Mogilev Formation in the
Dniester River Basin, and in Bernashevka Beds, Yaryshev Formation, in the quarry near
Ozaryntsi Village,
Podolia
Podolia or Podilia ( uk, Поділля, Podillia, ; russian: Подолье, Podolye; ro, Podolia; pl, Podole; german: Podolien; be, Падолле, Padollie; lt, Podolė), is a historic region in Eastern Europe, located in the west-central ...
,
Ukraine
Ukraine ( uk, Україна, Ukraïna, ) is a country in Eastern Europe. It is the second-largest European country after Russia, which it borders to the east and northeast. Ukraine covers approximately . Prior to the ongoing Russian inv ...
[
''V. vana'' fossils are known from the Yorga Formation on the Zimnii Bereg (Winter Coast) of the ]White Sea
The White Sea (russian: Белое море, ''Béloye móre''; Karelian and fi, Vienanmeri, lit. Dvina Sea; yrk, Сэрако ямʼ, ''Serako yam'') is a southern inlet of the Barents Sea located on the northwest coast of Russia. It is su ...
, Arkhangelsk Region
Arkhangelsk Oblast (russian: Арха́нгельская о́бласть, ''Arkhangelskaya oblast'') is a federal subject of Russia (an oblast). It includes the Arctic archipelagos of Franz Josef Land and Novaya Zemlya, as well as the Solovet ...
, Russia
Russia (, , ), or the Russian Federation, is a List of transcontinental countries, transcontinental country spanning Eastern Europe and North Asia, Northern Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, largest country in the ...
.South Australia
South Australia (commonly abbreviated as SA) is a state in the southern central part of Australia. It covers some of the most arid parts of the country. With a total land area of , it is the fourth-largest of Australia's states and territories ...
, but photographs or description of these fossils were not presented.
Description
The typical ''Vaveliksia'' had a frankfurter-like appearance, with one end attached to the substrate by a disk-like holdfast. The body wall was very thin, and perforated. At the top was a hole, which may be an osculum
The osculum (plural "oscula") is an excretory structure in the living sponge, a large opening to the outside through which the current of water exits after passing through the spongocoel. Wastes diffuse into the water and the water is pumped th ...
, if they were indeed true sponges. In ''V. velikanovi'', found only in Precambrian strata of the Dneister, the top has a crown of wrinkles which was originally interpreted as tentacles (the first fossils were originally thought to be of a polyp-like organism), and the holdfast is relatively flat and disk-like. ''V. vana'', found at the White Sea shores and in Australia, is thinner in diameter, has an unwrinkled top, and the holdfast is much more convex or dome-like. Some specimens of ''V. vana'' also had arms.
''V. velikanovi'' fossils range 3–8 cm in length and up to 3 cm in width. The attachment disks range 0.8–2 centimeters in diameter.
See also
*List of Ediacaran genera
This is a list of all described Ediacaran genera, including the Ediacaran biota. It contains 227 genera.
References
{{reflist, 30em
*
Ediacaran
The Ediacaran Period ( ) is a geological period that spans 96 million years from the end ...
References
Enigmatic animal taxa
Prehistoric sponge genera
Ediacaran life
White Sea fossils
Precambrian sponges
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