Kerygmachela

Reconstruction of Kerygmachela kierkegaardi

• Sirius Passet - Faunengemeinschaft, Greenland

• Kerygmachela kierkegaardi Budd, 1993

Kerygmachela is an extinct genus of multicellular animals ( Metazoa ) from the early Cambrian. Fossils of the only known species K. kierkegaardi, were found in the fossil deposit the Sirius Passet - Faunengemeinschaft in northern Greenland and described in 1993 for the first time scientifically. The presentation of the scientific name of the type species was made in honor of the Danish philosopher Søren Kierkegaard.

Features

K. kierkegaardi had a segmented body. He possessed remarkable appendages on the head, which resemble the claws of Anomalocaris, and a relatively small mouth between the extensions. Based on these anatomical features, it is assumed that the members of this genus were predators. The body segments contributed eleven pair of flap-like appendages, which probably served the movement in the water, as well as eleven pair of short legs at the bottom. The rear body segment contributed two long cerci.

System

Due to many morphological similarities Kerygmachela is the group of Anomalocarididen or assigned to this parallel extinct Radiodonten.