The rangeomorphs are a form taxon of frondoseEdiacaranfossils that are united by a similarity to Rangea. Some researchers, such as Pflug and Narbonne, suggest that a natural taxonRangeomorpha may include all similar-looking fossils. Rangeomorphs appear to have had an effective reproductive strategy, based on analysis of the distribution pattern of Fractofusus misrai, which consisted of sending out a waterborne asexual propagule to a distant area, and then spreading rapidly from there, just as plants today spread by stolons or runners.[1][2]
Rangeomorphs are a key part of the Ediacaran biota, which survived about 30 million years, until the base of the Cambrian, which was 538.8 million years ago. They were especially abundant in the early Ediacaran Mistaken Point assemblage found in Newfoundland.[3]
Rangeomorphs consist of branching "frond" elements, each a few centimetres long, each of which is composed of many smaller branching tubes held up by a semi-rigid organic skeleton. This self-similar structure proceeds over four levels of fractality, and could have been formed using fairly simple developmental patterns.[3]
EcologyEdit
Rangeomorphs dwelt in shallow to abyssal marine environments,[4] were unable to move, and had no apparent reproductive organs. They possibly reproduced asexually by dropping off new fronds. There is little evidence of a gut or mouth, while the organisms have high surface area to volume ratios, which has led to the hypothesis that they gathered nutrients from seawater by osmosis.[5][6] However, others argue this is implausible and suggest filter feeding or other mechanisms.[7] Most were attached to the sea floor by a stalk or holdfast, although others (such as the spindle-shaped Fractofusus) lay flat on the sediment surface.[8]
AffinityEdit
Rangeomorph communities are similar in structure to those of modern, suspension-feeding animals, but it is difficult to relate their morphology to any modern animals. They have at times been aligned to a range of modern animal and protist groups, but none of these classifications has withstood scrutiny;[8] they probably represent an extinct stem group to either the animals or fungi.[3] Whilst the fractal construction may represent a convergent adaptation to osmotic feeding, most workers now consider it to be an apomorphy which establishes the rangeomorph clade as a valid taxonomic entity.[8] The quilted construction suggests a close affinity to the erniettomorphs.
ReferencesEdit
^Mitchell, Emily G.; Kenchington, Charlotte G.; Liu, Alexander G.; Matthews, Jack J.; Butterfield, Nicholas J. (2015). "Reconstructing the reproductive mode of an Ediacaran macro-organism" (PDF). Nature. 524 (7565): 343–346. Bibcode:2015Natur.524..343M. doi:10.1038/nature14646. hdl:1983/93446a6e-8c30-4927-992b-1f7fea755961. PMID 26237408. S2CID 4471588.
^Collins, Sarah (3 August 2015). "Earliest evidence of reproduction in a complex organism". University of Cambridge. Retrieved 3 August 2015.
^ abcNarbonne, G. M. (August 2004). "Modular Construction of Early Ediacaran Complex Life Forms". Science. 305 (5687): 1141–1144. Bibcode:2004Sci...305.1141N. doi:10.1126/science.1099727. ISSN 0036-8075. PMID 15256615. S2CID 44647427.
^Hoyal Cuthill, JF; Conway Morris, S (2014). "Fractal branching organizations of Ediacaran rangeomorph fronds reveal a lost Proterozoic body plan". Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. 111 (36): 13122–13126. Bibcode:2014PNAS..11113122H. doi:10.1073/pnas.1408542111. PMC4246981. PMID 25114255.
^Laflamme, M.; Xiao, S.; Kowalewski, M. (2009). "Osmotrophy in modular Ediacara organisms". Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. 106 (34): 14438–14443. Bibcode:2009PNAS..10614438L. doi:10.1073/pnas.0904836106. PMC2732876. PMID 19706530.
^Droser, ML; Gehling, JG (2015). "The advent of animals: The view from the Ediacaran". Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. 112 (16): 4865–4870. Bibcode:2015PNAS..112.4865D. doi:10.1073/pnas.1403669112. PMC4413262. PMID 25901306.
^Liu, Alexander G; Kenchington, Charlotte G; Mitchell, Emily G (2015). "Remarkable insights into the paleoecology of the Avalonian Ediacaran macrobiota". Gondwana Research. 27 (4): 1355–1380. Bibcode:2015GondR..27.1355L. doi:10.1016/j.gr.2014.11.002.
^ abcXiao, S.; Laflamme, M. (January 2009). "On the eve of animal radiation: phylogeny, ecology and evolution of the Ediacara biota". Trends in Ecology and Evolution. 24 (1): 31–40. doi:10.1016/j.tree.2008.07.015. PMID 18952316.
External linksEdit
Jeff Hecht: Fractal patterns of early life revealed. On: New Scientist. 15 July 2004
Tia Ghose: Gone! Why Ancient Fractal Creatures Vanished. On: LiveScience. 11 August 2014 – Artist's reconstruction
Brandon Specktor: This 500 million-year-old 'social network' may have helped sea monsters clone themselves. On: LiveScience. 5 March 2020
October 21, 2023
rangeomorph, this, article, technical, most, readers, understand, please, help, improve, make, understandable, experts, without, removing, technical, details, october, 2018, learn, when, remove, this, template, message, rangeomorphs, form, taxon, frondose, edi. This article may be too technical for most readers to understand Please help improve it to make it understandable to non experts without removing the technical details October 2018 Learn how and when to remove this template message 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 Rangeomorphs appear to have had an effective reproductive strategy based on analysis of the distribution pattern of Fractofusus misrai which consisted of sending out a waterborne asexual propagule to a distant area and then spreading rapidly from there just as plants today spread by stolons or runners 1 2 RangeomorphTemporal range 635 505 Ma PreꞒ Ꞓ O S D C P T J K Pg N Possibly one of the last representatives of the Ediacaran biota Charnia masoni a rangeomorphScientific classificationDomain EukaryotaKingdom AnimaliaPhylum PetalonamaeClade RangeomorphaHofmann et al 2008Subtaxa Avalofractus Broccoliforma Fractofusus Frondophyllas Hapsidophyllas Hylaecullulus Khatyspytia Pambikalbae Pectinifrons Plumeropriscum Primocandelabrum Trepassia Vinlandia Rangeidae Rangea Charniidae Beothukis Bomakellia Bradgatia Charnia Paracharnia CulmofronsSynonymsCharniomorphaRangeomorphs are a key part of the Ediacaran biota which survived about 30 million years until the base of the Cambrian which was 538 8 million years ago They were especially abundant in the early Ediacaran Mistaken Point assemblage found in Newfoundland 3 Contents 1 Body plan 2 Ecology 3 Affinity 4 References 5 External linksBody plan EditRangeomorphs consist of branching frond elements each a few centimetres long each of which is composed of many smaller branching tubes held up by a semi rigid organic skeleton This self similar structure proceeds over four levels of fractality and could have been formed using fairly simple developmental patterns 3 Ecology EditRangeomorphs dwelt in shallow to abyssal marine environments 4 were unable to move and had no apparent reproductive organs They possibly reproduced asexually by dropping off new fronds There is little evidence of a gut or mouth while the organisms have high surface area to volume ratios which has led to the hypothesis that they gathered nutrients from seawater by osmosis 5 6 However others argue this is implausible and suggest filter feeding or other mechanisms 7 Most were attached to the sea floor by a stalk or holdfast although others such as the spindle shaped Fractofusus lay flat on the sediment surface 8 Affinity EditRangeomorph communities are similar in structure to those of modern suspension feeding animals but it is difficult to relate their morphology to any modern animals They have at times been aligned to a range of modern animal and protist groups but none of these classifications has withstood scrutiny 8 they probably represent an extinct stem group to either the animals or fungi 3 Whilst the fractal construction may represent a convergent adaptation to osmotic feeding most workers now consider it to be an apomorphy which establishes the rangeomorph clade as a valid taxonomic entity 8 The quilted construction suggests a close affinity to the erniettomorphs References Edit Mitchell Emily G Kenchington Charlotte G Liu Alexander G Matthews Jack J Butterfield Nicholas J 2015 Reconstructing the reproductive mode of an Ediacaran macro organism PDF Nature 524 7565 343 346 Bibcode 2015Natur 524 343M doi 10 1038 nature14646 hdl 1983 93446a6e 8c30 4927 992b 1f7fea755961 PMID 26237408 S2CID 4471588 Collins Sarah 3 August 2015 Earliest evidence of reproduction in a complex organism University of Cambridge Retrieved 3 August 2015 a b c Narbonne G M August 2004 Modular Construction of Early Ediacaran Complex Life Forms Science 305 5687 1141 1144 Bibcode 2004Sci 305 1141N doi 10 1126 science 1099727 ISSN 0036 8075 PMID 15256615 S2CID 44647427 Hoyal Cuthill JF Conway Morris S 2014 Fractal branching organizations of Ediacaran rangeomorph fronds reveal a lost Proterozoic body plan Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences 111 36 13122 13126 Bibcode 2014PNAS 11113122H doi 10 1073 pnas 1408542111 PMC 4246981 PMID 25114255 Laflamme M Xiao S Kowalewski M 2009 Osmotrophy in modular Ediacara organisms Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences 106 34 14438 14443 Bibcode 2009PNAS 10614438L doi 10 1073 pnas 0904836106 PMC 2732876 PMID 19706530 Droser ML Gehling JG 2015 The advent of animals The view from the Ediacaran Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences 112 16 4865 4870 Bibcode 2015PNAS 112 4865D doi 10 1073 pnas 1403669112 PMC 4413262 PMID 25901306 Liu Alexander G Kenchington Charlotte G Mitchell Emily G 2015 Remarkable insights into the paleoecology of the Avalonian Ediacaran macrobiota Gondwana Research 27 4 1355 1380 Bibcode 2015GondR 27 1355L doi 10 1016 j gr 2014 11 002 a b c Xiao S Laflamme M January 2009 On the eve of animal radiation phylogeny ecology and evolution of the Ediacara biota Trends in Ecology and Evolution 24 1 31 40 doi 10 1016 j tree 2008 07 015 PMID 18952316 External links EditJeff Hecht Fractal patterns of early life revealed On New Scientist 15 July 2004 Tia Ghose Gone Why Ancient Fractal Creatures Vanished On LiveScience 11 August 2014 Artist s reconstruction Brandon Specktor This 500 million year old social network may have helped sea monsters clone themselves On LiveScience 5 March 2020 Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Rangeomorph amp oldid 1170150009, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
