''Vendia'' is a genus of oval-shaped, Ediacaran

fossil A fossil (from Classical Latin , ) is any preserved remains, impression, or trace of any once-living thing from a past geological age. Examples include bones, shells, exoskeletons, stone imprints of animals or microbes, objects preserved ...

s ranging from 4.5 to 12.5 mm long. The body is completely segmented into

isomers In chemistry, isomers are molecules or polyatomic ions with identical molecular formulae – that is, same number of atoms of each element – but distinct arrangements of atoms in space. Isomerism is existence or possibility of isomers. ...

, which are arranged alternately in two rows longitudinal to the axis of the body. The larger isomers cover the smaller ones externally but the posterior ends of all the isomers remain free. The transverse elements decrease in size from anterior to posterior and are all inclined in the same direction. The fossil bears a depression along a body that is interpreted as a digestive-distributive system that consists of a simple axial tube and short lateral appendages located along the borders between the isomers. Except for the first isomer of ''Vendia rachiata'', all the isomers have one lateral appendage. The first species, ''V. sokolovi'', was originally found in a core from a Yarensk borehole in the south of Arkhangelsk Oblast of Russia in beginning of the 1960s V. V. Menner. (1963). "The Other Problematical Organic Remains". In: "Stratigraphy of the USSR: Upper Precambrian" Gos. Nauchno-Tekh. Izd., Moscow. pp. 504-507. (In Russian) and was described by Boris Keller in 1969.B. M. Keller. (1969). "Imprint of unknown animal from Valdai Series of Russian Platform". In: A. Y. Rozanov and et al. (Eds.), "Tommotian Stage and the Cambrian lower boundary problem". ''Geol. Inst. Trans''. Vol. 206, p. 175. (In Russian) Three ''Vendia'' species have been described with the following differentiating characteristics: * ''V. sokolovi'', represented by only one specimen 11 mm long, has 7 segments per side. * ''V. rachiata'' differs from ''V. sokolovi'' in the smaller number of isomers. The 12.5 mm long specimen has 5 isomers in one row, and in the length of isomers quickly decreasing posteriorly, and in the short lateral appendages of the axial depression. This species has been found only in the Solza River locality,

Onega Peninsula The Onega Peninsula is located in Arkhangelsk Oblast, Russia. It protrudes into the White Sea, with Onega Bay to the south-west, and Dvina Bay to the north-east. The length of the peninsula is about , and the width varies between and . Geog ...

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 s ...

area, Arkhangelsk Oblast. * The third species, ''V. janae'' is reassigned to the separate genus ''Paravendia''. It differs from the genus ''Vendia'' in the shape and relative position of the isomers that curve around and meet at the tail point, and larger isomers completely cover smaller ones. It is from Zimnie Gory locality, White Sea. ''Vendia'', '' Paravendia'' and probably ''

Karakhtia ''Karakhtia nessovi'' is a species of Proarticulate from the Ediacaran period, around 555 Million Years Ago. K. nessovi is the only species in the genus ''Karakhtia''. The genus Haootia has been compared minorly to ''Karakhtia'' in the way t ...

'' are members of the

Family Family (from la, familia) is a group of people related either by consanguinity (by recognized birth) or affinity (by marriage or other relationship). The purpose of the family is to maintain the well-being of its members and of society. Idea ...

Vendiidae Vendiamorpha is a class of extinct animals within the Ediacaran phylum Proarticulata. The typical vendiamorph had an oval-shaped or round-shaped body divided completely into segmented isomers, that were arranged alternately in two rows with ...

Class Class or The Class may refer to: Common uses not otherwise categorized * Class (biology), a taxonomic rank * Class (knowledge representation), a collection of individuals or objects * Class (philosophy), an analytical concept used differentl ...

Vendiamorpha Vendiamorpha is a class of extinct animals within the Ediacaran phylum Proarticulata. The typical vendiamorph had an oval-shaped or round-shaped body divided completely into segmented isomers, that were arranged alternately in two rows with ...

of the extinct Ediacaran (Vendian) animal Phylum

Proarticulata Proarticulata is a proposed phylum of extinct, bilaterally symmetrical animals known from fossils found in the Ediacaran (Vendian) marine deposits, and dates to approximately . The name comes from the Greek () = "before" and Articulata, i.e. ...

.M. A. Fedonkin (1985). "Systematic Description of Vendian Metazoa". In Sokolov, B. S. and Iwanowski, A. B., eds., "Vendian System: Historical–Geological and Paleontological Foundation, Vol. 1: Paleontology". Moscow: Nauka, pp. 70–106. The Charnwood Forest form, ''Pseudovendia charnwoodensis'' has been synonymized with the

rangeomorph The rangeomorphs are a form taxon of frondose Ediacaran fossils that are united by a similarity to ''Rangea''. Some researchers, such as Pflug and Narbonne, suggest that a natural taxon Rangeomorpha may include all similar-looking fossils. R ...

'' Charnia''.

References

Vendiamorpha Ediacaran life Fossils of Russia White Sea fossils Prehistoric bilaterian genera {{Ediacaran-stub

See also

References