Extinct genus of radiodonts
Innovatiocaris (meaning "innovation crab") is a genus of radiodont of uncertain family from the early Cambrian Chengjiang Lagerstätte of Yunnan Province, China. The genus contains two named species, I. maotianshanensis, known from a nearly complete young individual measuring up to and isolated frontal appendages, and I."? "multispiniformis, known from a complete frontal appendage.
Discovery and naming.
"Innovatiocaris maotianshanensis".
The holotype specimen of "Innovatiocaris maotianshanensis", ELRC 20001 was long considered in scientific literature as "Anomalocaris" sp". or "Anomalocaris saron" (="Houcaris saron"). However, in 2022, Zeng "et al". described it as a new genus and species of radiodont. The holotype consists of the nearly complete remains of a young individual, preserved on a part and counterpart. A brief description of the specimen was provided in Chen "et al". (1994); despite its popularity in popular science literature, however, it did not receive a detailed description until 2022. ELRC 20011 and 20012, additional specimens collected in 1990, consist of isolated frontal appendages. These were designated as paratypes. The specimens were collected from the Maotianshan Shale of the Yu'anshan Formation of Maotianshan, Chengjiang, Yunnan Province, China. The generic name, "Innovatiocaris", is derived from the Latin words "innovatio", meaning "innovation" (honoring the 'innovative spirits" of Junyuan Chen, a scientist who contributed to research of the Chengjiang Lagerstätte) and "caris", meaning "crab". The specific name, ""maotianshanensis"", is derived from "Maotianshan", the location where the holotype was discovered.
"Innovatiocaris"? "multispiniformis".
NIGP 177621, the holotype of "Innovatiocaris."? "multispiniformis", was collected from the same locality as the "I. maotianshanensis" holotype. It consists of a complete frontal appendage. The appendage of "I."? "multispiniformis" consists of 13 distal articulated podomeres, as opposed to the 11 podomeres found in "I. maotianshanensis" and "I."? sp. This may be a unique feature or the result of incomplete preservation. The specific name, "multispiniformis", is derived from the roots "multi", meaning "multiple", and "spiniformis", meaning "spinous", in reference to the multiple spines on the frontal appendages. A 2023 study argued that it forms a monophyletic clade with "I."? sp. but not with "I. maotianshanensis" based on phylogenetic analysis.
"Innovatiocaris"? sp..
An additional specimen, NIGP 177620, was assigned to "Innovatiocaris"? sp. by Zeng "et al". (2022). It consists of a complete frontal appendage, preserved on a part and counterpart. The specimen was collected from the Maotianshan Shale Member of the Yu'anshan Formation in Jianshan, Haikou, Yunnan Province, China. It likely represents a distinct species from "I. maotianshanensis". This is further supported by phylogenetic analysis from a 2023 study which shows that it forms a monophyletic clade with "I."? "multispiniformis" but not with "I. maotianshanensis".
Classification.
Some of its features seem to indicate an affinity with the Hurdiidae, though it is more similar to non-hurdiids than to members of the Hurdiidae. The results of two different phylogenetic analyses by Zeng "et al". (2022) are displayed in the cladograms below:
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References.
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