Description
Pomatrum ventralis- Vetulicolan
Early Cambrian Eoredlichia Zone
Yu’ anshan Mbr., Qiongzhusi Fm.
Chengjiang, China
Extremely high quality complete 76mm Vetulicolan on 194mm slab.
Pomatrum is an extinct, mysterious marine creature from the Early Cambrian, belonging to a puzzling group called vetulicolans. Though often called “fish-like,” Pomatrum wasn’t a true fish—it had a two-part body: a front section with a wide mouth and gill slits, and a tail-like rear for swimming. Its strange body plan suggests it may have been an early relative of chordates, the group that includes vertebrates. Living over 500 million years ago, Pomatrum swam through ancient seas, filtering food from the water—an enigmatic swimmer from the dawn of animal life.
