Incidentally, Kukalová-Peck, the describer of Mazothairos, is known as a notorious figure among palaeoentomologists. She sometimes do "overinterpretation," illustrating features of fossils that are not actually visible, and is also known for sometimes carving the fossils to match her interpretation.

People always consider Mazothairos as a representative of Palaeodictyoptera, but in fact this genus is only known from part of the thorax preserved, WE DON'T EVEN KNOW ITS WINGS! Meanwhile there are many lesser known genera that are smaller in size but have beautifully preserved wing patterns.

dude
uncool

Drakozoon kalumon
Soft cultist-like brachiopod

Also, where do you see ecdysozoans with transverse combs?

This is so off...
It looks like a priapulid because it's an acanthocephalan (acanthocephalans tend to look like priapulids)
A comment by OP says this doesn't match known gnathifer phylogeny, but... however doesn't it?

Winneshiekia youngae, an Ordovician dekatriatan chelicerate. It shares traits with e.g., xiphosurans (such as the eye ridge) and chasmataspidids (13-segmented opisthosoma).

#chelicerata #dekatriata #paleoart #paleontology #art #ordovician #arthropod #Winneshiekia #Winneshiek

An image of a fossil horseshoe crab on a pale rock. The fossil is beige and shows the head, body and tail of the animal. The head is elongated and shovel-shaped, which is very unusual.

A very unusual ancient horseshoe crab for #FossilFriday. This creature is from the Ordovician (425 million years ago) of Michigan and looks like no other horseshoe crab that we know of. This specimen also has a secret which will be revealed when the description is published shortly! 🧪⚒️

I just finished rewatching PMMM yesterday...

Standards

i swear every new molecular phylogeny that comes out is like xkcd.com/927/

(unkinked shaft clade)
└Oestokerkus
└'Enaliktoidea'
└Oelandocaris
└Lomankus
└(vermiform clade)
└Cascolus
└Enaliktidae
└Enalikter
└Bundenbachiellus

Judging from your replies here, you've a fairly low bar for 'looking like dicks'. We know of significantly more detailedly phallic things like enteropneusts and Herpetogaster than holothuroids.

#cnidaria #zoology #invertebrate #invertebrates #odisha

recordsofzsi.com/index.php/zsoi/article/view/163269/113228
century-old tentacle-less pelagic ceriantharians
surely this would receive more attention
is this even real
if you live near the coast of odisha, tell me if you've ever seen anything like this

Haikouichthys?

drat
*Escumasia

It was about time, I think.
Bastard just reeks of larva.

└Helicoplacoidea
└Helicoplacus
└(five ambulacra clade)
└Helicocystis
└(crown Echinodermata)

└Cincta
└Protocinctus
└(two ambulacra clade)
└Lignanicystis
└(unreduced ambulacrum clade)
└Trochocystites

└Echinodermata
└Yanjiahella
└Homalozoa (monophyletized)
└(ctenoid clade)
└Ctenoimbricata
└Ctenocystoidea
└(ambulacral clade)
└(single tentacle clade)
└Soluta
└Stylophora

Ambulacraria
└Escumaisa
└Cambroernida
└Phlogites
└(coiled clade)
└Herpetogaster
└Eldoniidae
└Eldonia
└Rotadiscus
└Paropsonema
└Hemichordata
└Gyaltsenglossus
└(collar clade)
└Enteropneusta
└Pterobranchia

Arguments for vetulicolians being stem-chordates:
- Terminal anus (possibly addressed)
- 'Banffozoa' (dubious)

Artuments for vetulicolians being tunicates:
- Rotated tail
- Notochord limited to tail
- Cuticle/tunic
- Endostyle (debunked)

six digital drawings of a pauropod, a loaf-shaped animal with no eyes, many short legs, and five tan colored segments

photo of a pauropod, which has no eyes and branched antennae. in the corner is the watermark: Stewart Bevan 2018

it's everyone's favorite animal, pauropod
you love pauropod

i love pauropod

escu is ambu

please no

That was a lot less specific than I thought it'd be...

's too inherently self-centered for something apparently meant to promote kindness and respect, think I.

skeem is not vetu
skeem is arthro