Title:

Proterozoic Modular Biomineralized Metazoan from the Nama Group, Namibia

Publication Year:
2002
Abstract:

We describe a Proterozoic, fully biomineralized metazoan from the Omkyk Member (∼549 million years before the present) of the northern Nama Group, Namibia. Namapoikia rietoogensis gen. et sp. nov. is up to 1 meter in diameter and bears a complex and robust biomineralized skeleton; it probably represents a cnidarian or poriferan. Namapoikiaencrusts perpendicular to the walls of vertical synsedimentary fissures in microbial reefs. This finding implies that large, modular metazoans with biologically controlled mineralization appeared some 15 million years earlier than previously documented.

Publication Title:

Science

Volume:
296
Issue:
5577
Pages:
2383-2386
Item Type:
Journal Article
Language:
en

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