[Annelida] possible Cambrian polychaeta ???

[Karlen, David]

Hi Paula,

My best guess is that it is the posterior end of an oligochaete. We very often find similar looking fragments of oligochaetes in our benthic samples. It definitely appears to have a digestive tract and the lighter colored areas within  might be ingested sand grains that were being passed through. Anyway, I hope that helps and I'd love to hear what other folks come up with.

Take care,

Dave
  

David J. Karlen, Ph.D.
President, Florida Academy of Sciences
General Manager I
Environmental Monitoring Section/Benthic Monitoring Program
Water Management Division
Environmental Protection Commission of Hillsborough County
3629 Queen Palm Drive
Tampa, FL  33619-1309

Phone: (813) 627-2600 x1202
Fax: (813) 627-2650
email: karlen from epchc.org

Environmental Protection Commission of Hillsborough County
An agency with values of environmental stewardship, integrity, honesty, and a culture of fairness and cooperation



-----Original Message-----
From: annelida-bounces from oat.bio.indiana.edu [mailto:annelida-bounces from oat.bio.indiana.edu] On Behalf Of Paula Gural
Sent: Wednesday, January 04, 2012 1:12 PM
To: annelida from magpie.bio.indiana.edu
Subject: [Annelida] possible Cambrian polychaeta ???

Greetings !

I am a graduate student working in Cambrian carbonates in southeastern New York. I found this fossil in a storm deposit in a peritidal sequence. Can anyone help me identify it ?
Thank you so much,
Paula Gural