Burykhia Temporal range:
| |
---|---|
![]() | |
reconstruction as a tunicate-like animal | |
Scientific classification ![]() | |
Domain: | Eukaryota |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Chordata |
Subphylum: | Tunicata |
Class: | Ascidiacea (?) |
Family: | †Ausiidae |
Genus: | †Burykhia Fedonkin, Vickers-Rich, Swalla, Trusler & Hall, 2012 |
Species: | †B. hunti
|
Binomial name | |
†Burykhia hunti Fedonkin, Vickers-Rich, Swalla, Trusler & Hall, 2012
|
Burykhia hunti is an Ediacaran fossil from the White Sea region of Russia dating to 555 million years ago. It is considered of possibly ascidian affinity, due to the sac-like morphology and a series of distinctly perforated bands reminiscent of a tunicate pharynx. If B. hunti is a tunicate, it could be the oldest ascidian fossil known as of its publication in 2012.[1] It is possibly related to the slightly younger Ausia, another putative ascidian from the Vendian biota in Namibia.[1] In the case of Burykhia, the narrow longitudinal vessels support affinity with the suborder Phlebobranchia.
Burykhia does not appear to have been colonial.[1]