A new metazoan from the Middle Cambrian of Utah and the nature of the vetulicolia

A new metazoan, Skeemella clavula gen. et sp. nov., is described from the Middle Cambrian Pierson Cove Formation of the Drum Mountains, Utah, USA. Skeemella is similar to vetulicolians, but differs from other examples of this group in the relative proportions of the anterior and posterior sections, the large number of divisions, and the elongate bifid termination. The posterior section is arthropodan in character. The similarity of this fossil to vetulicolians throws hypotheses of their deuterostome affinity into question and highlights their problematic status.