Reply to comments on: Omnidens appendages and the origin of radiodont mouthparts

Li, Wei; Yang, Jie; Yang, Xiaoyu; Dhungana, Alavya; Wang, Yu; Zhang, Xiguang; Smith, Martin

Abstract

We recently described a new species of the toothed predator Omnidens from the Cambrian Stage 3 Xiaoshiba biota (Li et al. 2024). Our material demonstrated a bipartite construction of the Omnidens mouthparts, contrasting with the previously assumed radial configuration; and revealed the association of the mouthparts with paired talon-like grasping structures – providing a new take on the feeding armature of early euarthropods. Whilst broadly accepting our evolutionary interpretation, McCall (2025) questions whether the two proposed species of Omnidens are distinct, and suggests that the distinct left and right halves of the oral apparatuses are connected by an undifferentiated medial plate.

Citation

Li, W., Yang, J., Yang, X., Dhungana, A., Wang, Y., Zhang, X., & Smith, M. (in press). Reply to comments on: Omnidens appendages and the origin of radiodont mouthparts. Papers in Palaeontology,

• Journal Article Type: Letter
• Acceptance Date: Apr 1, 2025
• Deposit Date: Mar 28, 2025
• Journal: Papers in Palaeontology
• Print ISSN: 2056-2799
• Electronic ISSN: 2056-2802
• Publisher: Wiley
• Peer Reviewed: Not Peer Reviewed
• Public URL: https://durham-repository.worktribe.com/output/3745110
• Publisher URL: https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/journal/20562802