Hylaecullulus

Hylaecullulus fordi, also described as dumbbells, is an extinct species of Ediacaran petalonamid whose fossils were found in the Charnwood Forest of Leicestershire, England.

[1] Hylaecullulus fordi is a multifoliate rangeomorph consisting of a holdfast and a similarly sized crown, connected by a straight, proportionally long and narrow stem of uniform width.

[1] The crown has a sub-circular (nearly circular) outline and is multifoliate—having multiple unrestrained folia (leaves) that all emanate from a single point at the tip of the stem.

Primocandelabrum only superficially resembles Hylaecullulus because it possesses a more anatomically simple holdfast alongside a straight and proportionally shorter stem.

[1] The evolution of eccentric branch growths indicate their ability to respond to physical, external stimuli and recover from damage, giving them considerable environmental tolerance.

The Ediacaran fossil, Primocandelabrum , superficially resembles Hylaecullulus in anatomy, although has a much simpler holdfast and a more triangular crown. [ 1 ]