Burykhia fossil map
Where fossils of Burykhia 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 |
| Family | Ausiidae |
| Named by | Fedonkin et al. 2012 |
| Fossil records | 1 occurrences at 1 locations (PBDB) |
| Found in | Russia |
| Rock formations | Verkhovka |
About Burykhia
Burykhia hunti is an Ediacaran fossil from the White Sea region of Russia dating to 555 million years ago. It is considered of possibly ascidian affinity, due to the sac-like morphology and a series of distinctly perforated bands reminiscent of a tunicate pharynx. If B. hunti is a tunicate, it could be the oldest ascidian fossil known as of its publication in 2012. It is also possibly related to the slightly younger Ausia, another putative ascidian from the Vendian biota in Namibia.
Text in “About” is quoted from the Wikipedia article Burykhia (revision 1354677836), 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: Q5001149.
