Abstract

A new shell-bearing organism with preserved soft tissue, Armilimax pauljamisoni n. gen. n. sp., is reported from the middle Cambrian (Miaolingian: Wuliuan) Miners Hollow locality of the Spence Shale of northern Utah. The described organism is known from a single articulated specimen and preserves a prominent shell, a slug-like body, as well as a U-shaped digestive tract. Its overall appearance is similar to halkieriids, but it does not preserve sclerites. The possible affinities of the new taxon and potential reasons for the presence of a U-shaped gut are discussed. Armilimax pauljamisoni is the first shell-bearing animal of its kind from the Great Basin and extends the diversity of body plans in the Spence Shale Fossil-Lagerstätte.

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