Yuknessia

Yuk-ness-e-ah.
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John Stewart

Paleoecologist

John Stewart is a distinguished paleoecologist whose work has significantly advanced our understanding of prehistoric ecosystems. With over two decades dedicated to unearthing fossils across Asia and Africa

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Name

Yuknessia.

Phonetic

Yuk-ness-e-ah.

Named By

Charles Doolittle Walcott‭ ‬-‭ ‬1919.

Classification

Animalia,‭ ‬Hemichordata,‭ ‬Pterobranchia.

Diet

Species

Y.‭ ‬simplex‭

Size

Up to‭ ‬3‭ ‬centimetres across.

Known locations

Canada‭ ‬-‭ ‬Burgess Shale.‭ ‬China,‭ ‬Chengjiang.‭ ‬USA,‭ ‬Utah.

Time Period

Mid Cambrian.

Fossil representation

At least‭ ‬23‭ ‬individuals.

In Depth

       Yuknessia is a genus of algae that would have played a very important part in the shallow Mid Cambrian seas.‭ ‬Algae’s like Yuknessia would have created their own food supplies via the process of photosynthesis,‭ ‬and by doing so,‭ ‬extract carbon dioxide from the water while releasing oxygen,‭ ‬making survival conditions much more favourable for animals.‭ ‬The first fossils and type species of Yuknessia were found in the famous Burgess Shale of Canada.

Further Reading

-‭ ‬A re-examination of Yuknessia from the Cambrian of British Columbia and Utah.‭ ‬-‭ ‬Journal of Paleontology‭ ‬89‭ (‬1‭)‬:‭ ‬82‭–‬95.‭ ‬-‭ ‬Steven T.‭ ‬LoDuca,‭ ‬Jean-Bernard Caron,‭ ‬James D.‭ ‬Schiffbauer,‭ ‬Shuhai Xiao‭ & ‬Anthony Kramer‭ ‬-‭ ‬2015.

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