Oldest known West Gondwanan graptolite: Ovetograptus? sp. (lower Agdzian/lowest Wuliuan; basal Middle Cambrian) of the Franconian Forest, Germany, and review of pre-Furongian graptolithoids

The occurrence of a likely graptolite in lowest Wuliuan strata of the Franconian Forest almost certainly records the oldest known graptolithoid hemichordate in West Gondwana and possibly the oldest graptolite presently known. The fossil is a delicate, erect, apparently unbranched rhabdosome with narrow thecae tentatively assigned to the poorly known genus Ovetograptus of the Dithecodendridae. This report includes an overview of pre-Furongian graptolithoids with slight corrections on the stratigraphic position of earlier reported species.

Automated summary

This article discusses the discovery of a likely graptolite fossil in the lowest Wuliuan strata of the Franconian Forest, which is believed to be the oldest graptolithoid hemichordate found in West Gondwana and possibly the oldest graptolite known to date. The fossil, belonging to the poorly known genus Ovetograptus of the Dithecodendridae family, is a delicate, erect, apparently unbranched rhabdosome with narrow thecae. The report also provides an overview of pre-Furongian graptolithoids and makes slight corrections to the stratigraphic position of previously reported species.