Avalofractus
Extinct genus of invertebrates From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Avalofractus abaculus is a frond-like rangeomorph fossil described from the Ediacaran of the Trepassey Formation, Spaniard's Bay, Newfoundland.[1]
| Avalofractus Temporal range: Ediacaran | |
|---|---|
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | |
| Phylum: | |
| Class: | |
| Genus: | †Avalofractus Narbonne et al. (2009) |
| Species: | †A. abaculus Narbonne et al., 2009 |
| Binomial name | |
| †Avalofractus abaculus Narbonne et al., 2009 | |
Avalofractus displays a strongly fractal body shape, with four levels of nearly perfectly self-similar, pinnate, alternate branches. It was about 5 cm long on average, with a 1 cm-diameter holdfast at the base of the frond. The stem length is from 1/3 to 1/2 that of the whole frond. It is quite similar to Rangea, even if with distinct morphological differences that justify the creation of a new genus (e.g. absence of subsidiary quilts, frond elements free to rotate independently instead of being attached to each other by a membrane).[1]
In contrast with other rangeomorphs, which have wide distributions, Avalofractus seems to have been an endemic species, being known only from the Spaniard's Bay deposits.[1]
It has been suggested that Avalofractus could have been capable of vegetative reproduction: loose fronds could have detached and grow, rather like a plant cutting. This could explain the mysterious lack of independent rangeomorph fronds smaller than 10 mm in the fossil record.[1]
A previous suggestion that Avalofractus younger individuals were encased in a sheath-like structure has been later dismissed.[2]
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