Oura is an extinct genus of deuteropodan arthropod from the Cambrian Stage 3 of the Chengjiang Lagerstätte, located in the Yunnan Province, China. It contains a single species, O. megale. It is most notable for its large, triangular tailpiece. This tailpiece may have improved Oura's maneuverability.[1]
| Oura megale Temporal range: | |
|---|---|
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| Holotype specimen of Oura megale | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Clade: | Deuteropoda |
| Genus: | †Oura O'Flynn et al., 2025 |
| Species: | †O. megale |
| Binomial name | |
| †Oura megale O'Flynn et al., 2025 | |
Discovery and naming
editOura was named based on a single specimen, YKLP 17237, found in Yunnan Province, China, in the Chengjiang lagerstätte. Some details of the anatomy of this specimen were lost during preparation. The genus name, Oura, comes from the Greek for tail, while the species name, megale, means large (also in Greek).[1]
Description
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Oura is roughly 14 cm (approximately 5.5 in) long. The head is divided into six segments, the frontmost of which bears a pair of stalked eyes. The segment of the head immediately behind the frontmost bears a pair of raptorial frontal appendages with at least 3 podomeres (segments). The thorax is divided into 15 segments. Each of these segments bears a pair of appendages, probably biramous (two-branched). The last of these segments bears a very large and wide triangular tailpiece.[1]
Taxonomy
editOura is member of Deuteropoda, as evidenced by its arthrodization, segmentation of its head and probable possession of biramous appendages. Cladogram after O'Flynn et al. 2025:[1]
| Arthropoda (total group) |
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Paleobiology and paleoecology
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Oura was likely a nektonic predator. The large tailpiece likely made Oura more maneuverable while swimming. Its lifestyle may have been somewhat comparable to that of some radiodonts, such as Anomalocaris.[1]
References
edit- 1 2 3 4 5 O’Flynn, Robert J.; Williams, Mark; Thomas, Ed; Hou, Xianguang; Liu, Yu (2025-10-03). "Oura megale n. gen. n. sp., a large early Cambrian deuteropod with a delta-shaped tailpiece". Palaeontologia Electronica. 28 (3): 1–15. doi:10.26879/1547. ISSN 1094-8074.