Redlichiida

Malongocephalus yunnanensis

Order Redlichiida / Suborder Redlichiina / Superfamily Redlichioidea / Family Redlichiidae

Cambrian, Series 2, Stage 3Yunnan

Malongocephalus yunnanensis — photo 1 — Photo 1 · Holotype NIGP 37826 (Yunnan; left: Complete dorsal shield (Yunnan; Zhang Wentang et al., 1980; right: Zhu Weidingzhong Guchong) Yuyan et al., 2024) Specimen preserving soft tissues (Yunnan; Zhu Yuyan Complete dorsal shield (Yunnan; et al., 2024) Luo Yanan)

Malongocephalus yunnanensis — photo 2 — Photo 2 · Holotype NIGP 37826 (Yunnan; left: Complete dorsal shield (Yunnan; Zhang Wentang et al., 1980; right: Zhu Weidingzhong Guchong) Yuyan et al., 2024) Specimen preserving soft tissues (Yunnan; Zhu Yuyan Complete dorsal shield (Yunnan; et al., 2024) Luo Yanan)

Malongocephalus yunnanensis — photo 3 — Photo 3 · Holotype NIGP 37826 (Yunnan; left: Complete dorsal shield (Yunnan; Zhang Wentang et al., 1980; right: Zhu Weidingzhong Guchong) Yuyan et al., 2024) Specimen preserving soft tissues (Yunnan; Zhu Yuyan Complete dorsal shield (Yunnan; et al., 2024) Luo Yanan)

Malongocephalus yunnanensis — photo 4 — Photo 4 · Holotype NIGP 37826 (Yunnan; left: Complete dorsal shield (Yunnan; Zhang Wentang et al., 1980; right: Zhu Weidingzhong Guchong) Yuyan et al., 2024) Specimen preserving soft tissues (Yunnan; Zhu Yuyan Complete dorsal shield (Yunnan; et al., 2024) Luo Yanan)

Malongocephalus yunnanensis — photo 5 — Photo 5 · Holotype NIGP 37826 (Yunnan; left: Complete dorsal shield (Yunnan; Zhang Wentang et al., 1980; right: Zhu Weidingzhong Guchong) Yuyan et al., 2024) Specimen preserving soft tissues (Yunnan; Zhu Yuyan Complete dorsal shield (Yunnan; et al., 2024) Luo Yanan)

Classification

Order Redlichiida / Suborder Redlichiina / Superfamily Redlichioidea / Family Redlichiidae

Genus

Malongocephalus Zhang & Lin in Zhang et al., 1980

Genus author

Zhang Wentang, Lin Huanling

Genus etymology

Malong, Malong, Yunnan; -cephalus, Greek, head

Species

M. yunnanensis Zhang & Lin in Zhang et al., 1980

Species author

Zhang Wentang, Lin Huanling

Species etymology

Yunnan

Age

Cambrian, Series 2, Stage 3

Distribution

Yunnan

Diagnosis

Dorsal shield elongate-oval. Cephalon semicircular; glabella conical, three pairs of glabellar furrows; preglabellar field of moderate length; palpebral lobe and eye ridge long; free cheek narrow, genal spine short. Thorax of 15 segments; axis as wide as the pleural lobes; pleural furrows broad and deep, pleural spines short and small. Pygidium small and semicircular. This species is the type species of Malongocephalus. (2019) Considered this genus a junior synonym of Chengjiangaspis. Zhu Yuyan et al. (2024) Considered that this species still shows clear differences from

Remarks

Chengjiangaspis chengjiangensis in cranidial details, axis width and number of thoracic segments, they regard them as distinct species, although whether they belong to the same genus is left undecided.