Lidaconus palmettoensisn. gen. and sp.: an enigmatic Early Cambrian fossil from western Nevada

Abstract
Lidaconus palmettoensisn. gen. and sp. is a recently discovered fossil from the Lower Cambrian Harkless Formation (BonniaOlenellusZone) in Esmeralda County, Nevada. The conoidal fossils were originally calcareous and have been replaced by silica. The cones are distinctive in their consistent morphology, the presence of weak annulations, and the lack of any internal structures such as septa, tabulae, or dissepiments. Because of the paucity of diagnostic characters due to the simple morphology and the lack of original microstructure, taxonomic affinities are uncertain.