Petalonamae

Common card · No. 436076

The petalonamids (Petalonamae) or frondomorphs are an extinct group of archaic animals typical of the Ediacaran biota, dating from around 635 million years ago to 516 million years ago. They are benthic and immobile animals, shaped like leaves, fronds (frondomorphic), feathers, or spindles. While initially considered algae or octocorals akin to sea pens, it is now believed that there are no living descendants of the group, which shares a probable relation to the Ediacaran animals known as vendozoans. Generally, these animals possess bilateral symmetry, like a feather with one axis and two sides. Some may be trilateral, with one axis and three sides, as seen in the erniettomorphs. Phylogenetically they are particularly difficult to classify. Lacking mouths, intestines, reproductive organs, or any other preserved evidence of internal structures, the morphology of these animals is very strange by current standards. The most widely accepted hypothesis is that they could directly absorb nutrients...

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