Chancelloriidae Walcott, 1920

Clausen, Sébastien & Álvaro, J. Javier, 2006, Skeletonized microfossils from the Lower-Middle Cambrian transition of the Cantabrian Mountains, northern Spain, Acta Palaeontologica Polonica 51 (2), pp. 223-238 : 226

Family Chancelloriidae Walcott, 1920

Remarks.—The nomenclature and taxonomy adopted below follow Qian and Bengtson (1989) and Bengtson (in Bengtson et al. 1990) who revised and updated the chancelloriid genera.

Chancelloriid (4+0) sclerites

Fig. 3E–G.

Material. —About 20 specimens preserved as phosphatic steinkerns from the “Beleño” facies, sections Cr 1 to Cr 4.

Description.—Sclerites having four rays (up to 300 µm long, most distal parts eroded off) merging with distinct external boundaries; some sclerites show rays with varying degrees of curvature ( Fig. 3F), others ( Fig. 3G) have subrectangular outlines of the foramina−bearing base.

Remarks. — (4+0) sclerites could be assignated to Allonia (A.? tetrathallis sensu Qian and Bengtson, 1989), Chancelloria ( C. eros Walcott, 1920 ), and Archiasterella ( A. cf. hirundo sensu Bengtson , in Bengtson et al. 1990; A. pentactina Sdzuy, 1969 ). Therefore, and because of the differences in ray curvature observed and the general preservation of the sclerites, the use of open nomenclature seems more appropriate here.