PALAEOSCOLECID WORMS FROM THE MIDDLE CAMBRIAN OF AUSTRALIA

The Middle Cambrian of the Georgina Basin, Queensland, Australia, has yielded a large association of secondarily phosphatized Palaeoscolecid a in three-dimensional preservation. Many hitherto unknown details are described, such as the differentiated aboral end, irregularly distrib uted tubules on the outer surface, and a wide range of sclerites even on the same animal. Internal structure, functional morphology, ecologi cal aspects and systematic relationships are also discussed. Nineteen species belonging to nine genera are described, of which the following are new: Austroscolex primitivus gen. et sp. nov., A. spatiolatus sp. nov., Corallioscolex gravius gen. et sp. nov., Euryscolex paternarius gen. et. sp. nov., Kaloscolex granulatus gen. et sp. nov., Milaculum elongatum sp. nov., Murrayscolex inaequalis gen. et sp. nov., M. serra tus sp. nov., Pantoioscolex oleschinskii gen. et sp. nov., Rhomboscole x chaoticus gen. et sp. nov., Schistoscolex angustosquamatus gen. et s p. nov., S. mucronatus sp. nov., S. umbilicatus sp. nov., Shergoldisco lex nodosus gen. et sp. nov., S. polygonatus sp nov., and Thoracoscole x armatus gen. et sp. nov.