Feeding behaviour of a new worm (Priapulida) from the Sirius Passet Lagerstätte (Cambrian Series 2, Stage 3) of North Greenland (Laurentia)

Abstract

Singuuriqia simoni gen. et sp. nov. represents the first record of a priapulid worm from the Sirius Passet Lagerstätte (Cambrian Series 2, Stage 3) of North Greenland (Laurentia). It is defined by an unusually broad, longitudinally folded, foregut which tapers through the pharynx towards the anterior mouth; posteriorly, the same longitudinal folding is evident in the narrow gut. The slender, smooth, trunk in the unique specimen passes anteriorly into an oval proboscis which culminates in a smooth, extensible, pharynx with pharyngeal teeth. The capacity for substantial expansion of the foregut permitted rapid ingestion of food prior to digestion at leisure. Cololites suggest both carnivorous and deposit feeding behaviour, indicating that Singuuriqia, like the present day Priapulus, was probably omnivorous.