An echiurid worm from the Late Precambrian

Abstract
A description is given of the 1st Precambrian echiuroid worm, from the Kuibis Quartzite of the lower Nama Group of southwest Africa (Namibia), PROTECHIURUS edmondsi gen. et sp. nov. The occurrence of ridges on the cast, suggesting the presence of longitudinal muscle bands on the surface of the body, supports assignment to the living family Echiuridae. Their mode of life and environment are compatible with the paleoecology of the Late Precambrian fauna of the Kuibis Quartzite.