A new linguliform brachiopod from the Chengjiang Lagersttte

Aim Based on two extraordinarily well-preserved specimens from the celebrated Chengjiang Lagersttte,a pediculate brachiopod,Xianshanella haikouensis gen.et sp.nov. is described herein.Methods In order to fully expose the soft tissues,it is necessary to carry out some preparation with fine needles and small brushes.A morphological comparison between the fossil taxon and Recent lingulids is provided.Results When compared with Recent lingulids, the fossil taxon exhibits some distinctive peculiarities,notably a circular shell,elongate and horny setal fringes,and a muscular pedicle in some cases with its end attached on the cheek of trilobite Eoredlichia intermedia.Conclusion These features,coupled with the fact that a cone-like animal attached at the setae left-anterior to the shell edge,suggest that this group of animals are epibenthic suspension feeder,rather than infaunal forms living buried in the sediment.The discovery of these fossils may be vital to understanding the diversity of inarticulate brachiopods in the Early Cambrian Chengjiang fauna.