Redescription of the Lower Cambrian Halkieria obliqua Poulsen

Abstract

The type material of Halkieria obliqua Poulsen 1967 from the Lower Cambrian ‘Grønne Skifre’ (‘Green Shales’) of Bornholm, Denmark, is redescribed. H. obliqua is the type species of Halkieria Poulsen 1967, originally described as a probable hyolith, but now interpreted to represent the Lower and Middle Cambrian Sachitida He 1980, a widespread group of lepidote metazoans of problematic affinities. The order contains the families Wiwaxiidae Walcott 1911 and Halkieriidae Poulsen 1967. The type material of H. obliqua consists of six cultrate sclerites. It is not known whether H. obliqua also carried palmate and spiniform sclerites. The type and only specimen of H. symmetrica Poulsen 1967 is the counterpart of the figured paratype of H. obliqua; the two species names are considered to be synonyms, and H. obliqua is selected as the valid name.

Key Words:

• Coeloscleritophora
• Sachitida
• Halkieriidae
• Halkieria obliqua
• taxonomy
• “Grønne Skifre’
• Lower Cambrian
• Bornholm
• Denmark
• N5502 N5503 E1458 E1450