Qingjianglepas from the Qingjiang biota, an evolutionary dead-end of Cambrian helcionelloid mollusks?

A minute limpet-shaped shell, Qingjianglepas elegans n. gen. sp., is reported from the 518 million-year-old Qingjiang biota in Hubei, China. The new shell exhibits a typical limpet morphology with sculpture of strongly developed radial ribs, an anterior fold, and distinctive shape shift. Feature combinations such as are unique among Cambrian mollusk assemblages, but strikingly resemble that some modern fissurellids (keyhole slit limpets; Vetigastropoda). biological affinity discussed, temporarily remains uncertain. Regardless, heavily sculptured represents previously unrecognized form, hence significantly extends morphological diversity mollusks. abrupt ontogenetic change suggests might microhabitat throughout growth animal. This study reveals phenomenon limpetization occurred within early total-group conchiferans. Furthermore, represent evolutionary dead-end course helcionelloid evolution, which marks end explosion animals at beginning Series 2.