Distribution and preservation of <i>Kimberella quadrata</i> from the Ediacara Member, South Australia

Larger specimens are also preserved with reduced vertical relief compared to smaller ones, demonstrating preferential deformation of larger <i>Kimberella</i> during burial. We find similarities between the distribution, morphology, and deformation patterns of <i>Kimberella</i> specimens from Russia and South Australia. These data thus affirm that despite the palaeogeographic distance between these regions, both populations of <i>Kimberella</i> likely represent the same species.

All data are consistent with a Lophotrochozoan affinity for <i>Kimberella</i> and the possibility of this taxon representing a stem-group mollusc.</p> <p><i>Heather K. McCandless* [<a target="_blank" href="mailto:hmcca005@ucr.edu">hmcca005@ucr.edu</a>] Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, University of California, Riverside, 900 University Ave, Riverside, CA 92521, USA; Tory L. Botha [<a target="_blank" href="mailto:tory.botha@outlook.com">tory.botha@outlook.com</a>] School of Biological Sciences, Adelaide University, Adelaide, South Australia 5005, Australia; Phillip C. Boan [<a target="_blank" href="mailto:pboan001@vt.edu">pboan001@vt.edu</a>] Department of Geosciences, Virginia Tech, 926 West Campus Drive Blacksburg, VA 24061, USA; Scott D. Evans [<a target="_blank" href="mailto:sevans@amnh.org">sevans@amnh.org</a>] Department of Invertebrate Palaeontology, American Museum of Natural History, 200 Central Park West, New York, NY 10024, USA; Ian V. Hughes [<a target="_blank" href="mailto:ihughes@fas.harvard.edu">ihughes@fas.harvard.edu</a>] Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology, Harvard University, 26 Oxford St, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA; Diego C. García-Bellido [<a target="_blank" href="mailto:diego.garcia-bellido@adelaide.edu.au">diego.garcia-bellido@adelaide.edu.au</a>] School of Biological Sciences, Adelaide University, Adelaide, South Australia 5005, Australia; South Australian Museum, Adelaide, South Australia 5000, Australia; Walker C. Weyland [<a target="_blank" href="mailto:walker_weyland@fas.harvard.edu">walker_weyland@fas.harvard.edu</a>] Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology, Harvard University, 26 Oxford St, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA; Rachel L. Surprenant [<a target="_blank" href="mailto:rsurprenant@sdccd.edu">rsurprenant@sdccd.edu</a>] Department of Physical Sciences, San Diego City College, 1313 Park Boulevard, San Diego, CA 92101-4787, USA; Mary-Anne N. Binnie [<a target="_blank" href="mailto:mary-anne.binnie@samuseum.sa.gov.au">mary-anne.binnie@samuseum.sa.gov.au</a>] South Australian Museum, Adelaide, South Australia 5000, Australia; Karol Faehnrich [<a target="_blank" href="mailto:karol.faehnrich@adelaide.edu.au">karol.faehnrich@adelaide.edu.au</a>] School of Biological Sciences, Adelaide University, Adelaide, South Australia 5005, Australia; Mary L. Droser [<a target="_blank" href="mailto:droser@ucr.edu">droser@ucr.edu</a>] Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, University of California, Riverside, 900 University Ave, Riverside, CA 92521, USA.</i></p>