Xianguangia sinica

3D Model

Yunnan Province, China, ~518 million years old.

Xianguangia had a cylindrical body with 18 feathery tentacles surrounding the mouth. The internal organs are thought to be housed inside the tapering column which attaches to the seabed by a holdfast. The general body shape, with mouth and tentacles facing up, are features shared with some modern cnidarians, including sea anemones and corals, and it may be an early example of this group.

Created for the First Animals exhibition at Oxford University Museum of Natural History: www.oum.ox.ac.uk/firstanimals

Model by Mighty Fossils: www.mightyfossils.com