The fossil record of phyllocarids in Australia is notably limited, with only a few specimens found in Ordovician to Devonian deposits. Therefore, identification of examples from older deposits would inform more aspects of Gondwanan crustacean evolution. Here, a possible phyllocarid reported by Chapman (1925) from the Mount John Shale Member of the Wade Creek Formation is reconsidered. We conclude that the “phyllocarid”-like structure is morphologically comparable to traces ascribed to activity of bivalved arthropods. However, as the Mount John Shale Member is early Neoproterozoic or older, the most parsimonious explanation is that the structure is a cast created by abiotic activity. Re-examination of such specimens represents a useful approach to clarifying previous mis-identifications in the literature and is an important use of historically valuable specimens and collections.
Citation: Bicknell, R. D. C., Smith, P. M., Schroeder, N., & Kimmig, J. (2020). Reconsidering the ‘phyllocarid’ from the Wade Creek Formation. Alcheringa: An Australasian Journal of Palaeontology, 44(4), 481–483. https://doi.org/10.1080/03115518.2020.1820575