Palaeozoic Fossil Worms
21st February 2008

Soft part preservation of fossil worms is known from a number of exceptionally preserved faunas. These include the Early Cambrian of Sirius Passet (which contains the oldest known polychaetes) and Chengjiang; the Mid Cambrian Burgess Shale; the Moroccan Early Ordovician; the Leintwardine Silurian; the Devonian Hunsruck Slate of Germany and the Arkona Shale of Ontario; the Carboniferous of Bear Gulch and Mazon Creek; the Gres de Voltzia and a number of Mesozoic and Tertiary sites.

Here is a selection of examples, from Early Cambrian (and just possibly Ediacaran) to Late Carboniferous occurrences.

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A wonderful 45 mm Dickinsonia from the White Sea, Russia. Dickinsonia has been compared with spintherid polychaetes, but the similarity may represent convergence. There are some excellent recent images of giant scale worms in the deep Antarctic that help with imagining live dickinsoniids.
A wonderful 45 mm Dickinsonia from the White Sea, Russia. Dickinsonia has been compared with spintherid polychaetes, but the similarity may represent convergence. There are some excellent recent images of giant scale worms in the deep Antarctic that help with imagining live dickinsoniids.
 Cricocosmia jinningensis. 60 mm long (if straightened) palaeosoclecidan worm on a 28 mm by 25 mm matrix. The spine-covered proboscis is very well preserved and the body sclerites are preserved in relief.
Cricocosmia jinningensis. 60 mm long (if straightened) palaeosoclecidan worm on a 28 mm by 25 mm matrix. The spine-covered proboscis is very well preserved and the body sclerites are preserved in relief.
 Cricocosmia jinningensis. 38 mm outstretched worm. See Han et al. (2007).
Cricocosmia jinningensis. 38 mm outstretched worm. See Han et al. (2007).
Maotianshania cylindrica. 55 mm long (if straightened). Early Cambrian, Chengjiang.
Maotianshania cylindrica. 55 mm long (if straightened). Early Cambrian, Chengjiang.
Myoscolex ateles Glaessner, 1979, a worm (Dzik 2004) or an opabiniid arthropod showing preservation of muscle bundles in apatite and calcite, 4 cm long. Cape D’Estaing Formation, Emu Bay, South Australia.
Myoscolex ateles Glaessner, 1979, a worm (Dzik 2004) or an opabiniid arthropod showing preservation of muscle bundles in apatite and calcite, 4 cm long. Cape D’Estaing Formation, Emu Bay, South Australia.
 Myoscolex ateles Glaessner, 1979, a worm (Dzik 2004) or an opabiniid arthropod showing preservation of muscle bundles in apatite and calcite, 4 cm long. Cape D’Estaing Formation, Emu Bay, South Australia.
Myoscolex ateles Glaessner, 1979, a worm (Dzik 2004) or an opabiniid arthropod showing preservation of muscle bundles in apatite and calcite, 4 cm long. Cape D’Estaing Formation, Emu Bay, South Australia.
 Priapulid worm, Selkirkia willoughbyi, 31 mm, showing gut trace and proboscis. Marjum Formation. Utah, USA.
Priapulid worm, Selkirkia willoughbyi, 31 mm, showing gut trace and proboscis. Marjum Formation. Utah, USA.
 A lovely flawless 10 cm priapulid from the Middle Cambrian of Millard County, Utah, USA.
A lovely flawless 10 cm priapulid from the Middle Cambrian of Millard County, Utah, USA.
Unknown vermiform soft-bodied animal with a jaw apparatus at one end with individual pointed elements reaching 4 mm, 32 mm long. Upper Middle Cambrian, Weeks Formation. Millard County, Utah.
Unknown vermiform soft-bodied animal with a jaw apparatus at one end with individual pointed elements reaching 4 mm, 32 mm long. Upper Middle Cambrian, Weeks Formation. Millard County, Utah.
 Protoscolex latus Bather 1920, a rare worm, 18 mm long, once thought to be an oligochaete, from the Ludlow Series, Lower Leintwardine Formation, Church Hill, Leintwardine, Herefordshire, UK.
Protoscolex latus Bather 1920, a rare worm, 18 mm long, once thought to be an oligochaete, from the Ludlow Series, Lower Leintwardine Formation, Church Hill, Leintwardine, Herefordshire, UK.
 Lepidocoleus sarlei Clarke 1896,Machaeridian armoured worm, 15 mm. Rochester Shale, Middle Silurian, Caleb’s Quarry, New York, USA.
Lepidocoleus sarlei Clarke 1896,Machaeridian armoured worm, 15 mm. Rochester Shale, Middle Silurian, Caleb’s Quarry, New York, USA.
 Bundenbachochaeta eschenbachensis 23 mm polychaete worm with the ophiuroid (60 mm) Furcaster palaeozoicus, Wingertshell Member, Kaub Formation, Eschenbach-Bocksburg. Bundenbach, Germany.
Bundenbachochaeta eschenbachensis 23 mm polychaete worm with the ophiuroid (60 mm) Furcaster palaeozoicus, Wingertshell Member, Kaub Formation, Eschenbach-Bocksburg. Bundenbach, Germany.
Filamentous algae with two nematode worms. Algal assemblage.
Filamentous algae with two nematode worms. Algal assemblage.
 Nematode worm. Bear Gulch, Montana.
Nematode worm. Bear Gulch, Montana.
 Rhaphidiophorus jistrix, a superbly preserved specimen, 40 mm long in a 60 mm concretion. Francis Creek Shale (Carbondale Formation), Desmoinesian, Pennsylvanian, Upper Carboniferous. Pit 11, Braidwood, Illinois.
Rhaphidiophorus jistrix, a superbly preserved specimen, 40 mm long in a 60 mm concretion. Francis Creek Shale (Carbondale Formation), Desmoinesian, Pennsylvanian, Upper Carboniferous. Pit 11, Braidwood, Illinois.
 Didontogaster cordylina. 45 mm. Francis Creek Shale, Chowder Flats, Morris, Illinois.
Didontogaster cordylina. 45 mm. Francis Creek Shale, Chowder Flats, Morris, Illinois.
Dryptoscolex matthiesae. 60 mm polychaete worm, Chowder Flats, Morris, Illinois.
Dryptoscolex matthiesae. 60 mm polychaete worm, Chowder Flats, Morris, Illinois.
 95 mm Dryptoscolex matthiesae, Mazon Creek, Illinois, USA.
95 mm Dryptoscolex matthiesae, Mazon Creek, Illinois, USA.
 95 mm Dryptoscolex matthiesae, Mazon Creek, Illinois, USA.
95 mm Dryptoscolex matthiesae, Mazon Creek, Illinois, USA.
 Esconites zelus. A 40 mm polychaete worm, Pit 11, Braidwood, Illinois.
Esconites zelus. A 40 mm polychaete worm, Pit 11, Braidwood, Illinois.
Esconites zelus. A 75 mm polychaete worm, Pit 11, Braidwood, Illinois.
Esconites zelus. A 75 mm polychaete worm, Pit 11, Braidwood, Illinois.
Fastuoscolex, a rare polychaete worm from Pit 11, Mazon Creek.
Fastuoscolex, a rare polychaete worm from Pit 11, Mazon Creek.
Fastuoscolex, a rare polychaete worm from Pit 11, Mazon Creek.
Fastuoscolex, a rare polychaete worm from Pit 11, Mazon Creek.
Astreptoscolex anasillosus. Pit 11, Braidwood, Illinois. 45 mm. This is the most abundant annelid in the fauna.
Astreptoscolex anasillosus. Pit 11, Braidwood, Illinois. 45 mm. This is the most abundant annelid in the fauna.
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