Rutgersella

Rutgersella truexi is a form species for problematic fossils of Early Silurian age in Pennsylvania. It has been of special interest because of its morphological similarity with the iconic Ediacaran fossil Dickinsonia, and may have been a late surviving vendobiont.[1]

Petrographic thin section of Rutgersella truexi from Early Silurian Shawangunk Formation of Pennsylvania

Rutgersella
Temporal range: Early Silurian
Rutgersella truexi from the Early Silurian Shawangunk Formation of Delaware Water Gap, Pennsylvania
Scientific classification
Kingdom:
incertae sedis
Genus:
†Rutgersella

Johnson and Fox 1968
Species
  • Rutgersella truexi

Description

Rutgersella truexi is a flat, segmented fossil, with both radial and bilateral symmetry like Dickinsonia, but with a shorter midline. The fossils are pyritized; some internal chambers are filled with chalcedony, so that they are preserved along with basal rhizines. According to Retallack, these observations suggest affinities with lichens, and perhaps the fungal phylum Glomeromycota.[1]

References
  1. Retallack, G.J. (2015). "Reassessment of the problematic fossil Rutgersella as another post-Ediacaran vendobiont". Alcheringa. 39 (4): 573–588. doi:10.1080/03115518.2015.1069483.
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