User:BrettKamphouse/sandbox

= Elasenia = Elasenia is a genus from the Vendian period (635-541 ma) first discovered by M.A. Fedonkin in modern Ukraine in 1983. Its taxonomic classification is currently under debate.

Morphology, Anatomy, and Behavior
The taxonomy of Elasenia is still being debated. Originally, M. A. Fedonkin identified Elasenia as a jellyfish, but Bergstrom (1990) argued that this could not be conclusively proven, and instead proposed that Elasenia was a quilted organism. Bergstrom noted that Elasenia had many features associated with quilted organisms, such as circular wrinkles, radial striations, and a central scar known as an “anchor” or “holdfast”. Nesterovski, Martyshyn, and Chupryna (2018) proposed that Elasenia was a primitive polyp. Polyps are a type of benthic cnidarian that are roughly cylindrical in shape and elongated by the axis of the body.

Method of Fossilization
All Elasenia fossils found currently are molds.

Distribution and Paleoenvironment
Elasenia was first discovered in the Mogyliv-Podilsky group in Ukraine. It is found only in Vendian age strata (635-541 ma). Elasenia lived in a shallow sea environment. The lifestyle of Elasenia is currently unknown; if Elasenia is a jellyfish, it would be free-floating; if it is a burrower, chordata, or quilted organism, then it would have a benthic lifestyle.

Other Notable Characteristics
When first describing Elasenia, Fedonkin placed much emphasis on the reproductive process of the genus. He identified the umbrella as the gonads, but was unable to determine the number of sexual organs on each individual or the reproductive process. Dowell (1985) noted that Elasenia was unique in that it had small tubercles on the exumbrell.