Kerygmachela


Kerygmachela kierkegaardi was a gilled lobopodian from the Buen Formation of the Sirius Passet Lagerstätte, in northern Greenland. Its anatomy strongly suggests that it, along with its relative Pambdelurion whittingtoni, was a close relative of anomalocaridid and euarthropod. The specific name, "kierkegaardi" honors Danish philosopher Søren Kierkegaard.
It had a pair of well-developed frontal appendages that had long spines. These limbs correspond to the frontal appendages of anomalocaridids. A pair of sessile eyes located near the base of these appendages. A small anterior-facing mouth located below its head and bearing a pair of stylet-like structures. The body had 11 segments indicated by 4 turberculates on each of them, associated with 11 pairs of lateral swimming lobes with gill-like structure, along with 11 pairs of small legs at the lobes' bases. The body ends with a single tail spine which formerly thought to be a pair of cerci. It also had well-developed pharynx and arthropod-like gut glands.
The spiny frontal appendages suggest that it may have been a predator; however, fossils indicate total size of approximately 175 mm and, with a relatively small mouth, indicating that it would have been restricted to very small prey.