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= Conotubus =

General Discussion
Conotubus (Figure 1) is tubular marine organism found in the Gaojiashan Lagerstätte of the Dengying Formation in South China and the Deep Spring Formation from Mount Dunfee, Nevada, USA. It dates back 551-541 Ma and is considered to be part of the Ediacaran Fauna. Conotubus represents one of the earliest known “through gut” digestive systems. As a member of the Cloudinidae family, it shares similarities to other organisms like Cloudina.

Morphology, Anatomy, and Behavior
Conotubus was first thought to consist of straight or curved conical tubes that were preserved parallel to the bedding surface. It was also first thought that the interior of the tube was empty. The tube length was 3-80mm and the diameter was .3-12 mm [anterior] and 1-4 mm [posterior].

Later, it would be discovered that Conotubus had a straight or sinuous conical tubes that were often preserved with a closed apex and open aperture (seen in figures 1 and 2). The tube walls could be characterized by parabolic folds that had convex end points pointing to the tube apex. The tube itself was not found to be biomineralized. The tube was also found to be made of nested funnel-shaped cylinders added at the apertural end of the organism with no branching or splitting. The dimensions of this interpretation of Conotubus remained consistent with prior interpretations.

Conotubus was primarily benthic, sticking to the sea floor where it would either lay prone with its apertural section facing upwards or entirely vertical. This is consistent with how it is believed Conotubus fed, through its apertural section.

Method of Fossilization
Conotubus was primarily pyritized during fossilization, although it mineralization was often weak or not present. The orientation at which Conotubus is fossilized is almost strictly influenced by the position it died in. In most Conotubus specimens, the orientation at which it found is the orientation it died in. This is due to the organism’s habit of burrowing or anchoring itself in the substrate.

Distribution & Paleoenvironment
Conotubus has been found in the Gaojiashan Lagerstätte of the Dengying Formation in South China and in the Deep Spring Formation at Mount Dunfee in the United States. Conotubus was a benthic organism that would anchor itself to the substrate by its apex. Most species of Conotubus lived in muddy substates, although some species can be found in relation to stromatolites, implying that they may have lived on, in, or around calcareous or microbially active substrates.

Other Notable Characteristics
Conotubus represents one of the earliest known bilaterian digestive tracts. This type of digestive tract allows for an organism to eat and excrete waste simultaneously. Thousands of organisms, including humans, have this type of digestive tract. Conotubus also shares many similarities to Cloudina.