Alienum fossil map
Where fossils of Alienum have been found, shown on the Earth as it looked about 555 million years ago and on today’s map.
Dots are fossil collections recorded in the Paleobiology Database. The “then” view moves today’s fossil sites back to their positions 555 million years ago (the time slice nearest the median age of the fossils) using the Merdith et al. (2021) plate model; positions are approximate. Open on the timeline map →
| Group | Ediacaran & Cambrian life |
|---|---|
| Lived | 635–538.8 million years ago (Ediacaran) |
| Periods | Ediacaran |
| Named by | Liu et al. 2025 |
| Fossil records | 1 occurrences at 1 locations (PBDB) |
| Found in | China |
| Rock formations | Dengying |
About Alienum
Alienum is an extinct genus of animal of uncertain affinity from the late Ediacaran. Estimated to be about 541 million years old, the type species, Alienum velamenus demonstrates some anatomical characters reminiscent of vetulicolians, while predating the first undisputed member of this clade by 20 million years. It was described in 2024 based on a specimen from the Dengying Formation of South China.
Text in “About” is quoted from the Wikipedia article Alienum (revision 1369784706), licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0; introduction excerpted verbatim, formatting removed. Ages, family, authority and fossil records: Paleobiology Database, accessed 23 October 2026. Ages are those of the rock layers the fossils were found in. Wikidata: Q131731727.
