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The paper focuses on patterns of the evolution of the simplest and longest−ranging (approximately 18 Ma) Silurian graptolite Pristiograptus dubius. The Pristiograptus dubius Kozłowska [akd@twarda.pan.pl ], and Lech Teller, Instytut Paleobiologii PAN, ul. Twarda 51/55, Poland; Sigitas Radzevičius [sigitas.radzevicius@gf.vu.lt]

Rhabdotubus johanssoni n.gen., n.sp., is described from the early Middle Cambrian Eccaparadoxides pinus Zone of Närke, southern Sweden. The colonies encrusted shells of inarticulate brachiopods, and occasionally trilobites, on otherwise soft substrates. The tubarium consists of repent and erect tubes. The former branch irregularly and produce a thecorhiza‐like structure; the latter are erect and mostly isolated, up to 10 mm in length and widening gradually to about 1 mm width. Both repent and erect tubes are composed of fusellar bands, mostly irregularly arranged. Branching of repent tubes takes place through resorption or perforation of fusellar tissue in the parent tube. Branching of erect tubes occurs sporadically. There is no thecal dimorphism. No sclerotized stolon is present. Rhabdotubus is interpreted as the earnest known rhabdopleurid (Class Pterobranchia, Phylum Hemichordata). In general habitus it is similar to sessile graptolites of the Order Tuboidea. These similarities may well have phylogenetic significance, but further knowledge of the Tuboidea and other sessile orders of the Graptolithina is required to clarify the early evolution of graptolites.

The Crustoidea are important in discussions of graptolite origins, because they represent a morphoecological type intermediate between the Rhabdopleurida and the Dendroidea. TEM and SEM studies of their rhabdosomes provide new data on the structural variation displayed by the graptolite periderm. Since the crustoid fusellar fabric does not differ markedly from the fuseller fabric of other graptolites and is dissimilar to that of pterobranchs, it is supposed that the fundamental graptolite fibril pattern was attained at the crustoid stage of graptolite evolution. The crustoid cortex is made of paracortex (the multiple deposition of sheets separated by an intersheet material in the form of condensed meshwork of fibrous material) and of pseudocortex (the accumulation of sheets and intersheet material devoid of fibrous character). The presence of sporadically genuine cortex is noted. Presumably the mechanisms of cortical fibrilogenesis were attained at the crustoid stage, but only in an incipient and incomplete form. Modes of periderm corticization arc discussed. Sheets, common elements in secondary deposits of pterobranchs and graptolites, arc compared, but some problems still remain unclear. ?Crustoidea, Pterobranchia, phytogeny, ultrastructure, cortex, morphogenesis, homology.