Syllipsimopodi bideni

演化之聲
Mar 19
2 min read

Age

Carboniferous（Serpukhovian）

330 Ma

Taxonomy

Kingdom: Animalia

Phylum: Mollusca

Class: Cephalopoda

Genus: Syllipsimopodi

Species: Syllipsimopodi bideni

Morphological description

Syllipsimopodi bideni was a small cephalopod, measuring approximately 12 cm in total length. Its body was torpedo-shaped, with a roughly triangular gladius-like internal structure. The posterior end tapered into a funnel-shaped cone, and it possessed an ink sac along with a pair of fins that likely functioned in stabilization during swimming.

It had ten arms, each bearing two rows of suckers. The arms had a mid-width of approximately 2.1 to 2.4 mm. Two of the arms were notably longer, reaching about 4 cm, while the remaining arms were around 1.8 cm in length. The suckers ranged from approximately 0.31 to 0.62 mm in diameter.

Etymology

The genus name Syllipsimopodi is derived from the Greek syllípsimos meaning "grasping" and pódi meaning "foot", referring to its prehensile arms.

The species name bideni honors Joe Biden, recognizing his support for climate change initiatives and scientific research.

Biological description

The holotype specimen, ROMIP 64897, is housed at the Royal Ontario Museum and was discovered in the Bear Gulch Limestone.

The longer pair of arms is interpreted as being specialized for capturing prey, while the shorter arms were likely used to restrain and manipulate it. However, due to the absence of preserved gut contents, its precise diet remains uncertain.

Syllipsimopodi bideni represents the oldest known and currently the only vampyropod with a full complement of ten functional arms (a group that includes octopuses and vampire squids). It is also the earliest known cephalopod to possess suckers on its appendages, providing critical insight into the early evolution of vampyropods.

(Author: Bai Leng)

References

1. Whalen, C. D., Landman, N. H. (2022). Fossil coleoid cephalopod from the Mississippian Bear Gulch Lagerstätte sheds light on early vampyropod evolution. Nature Communications.

2. Imbler, S. (8 March 2022). Fossil of Vampire Squid's Oldest Ancestor Is Named for Biden. The New York Times.

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