Rangeomorphs are among the oldest putative eumetazoans known from the fossil record.
Establishing how they fed is thus key to understanding the structure and function of the
earliest animal ecosystems. Here, we use computational fluid dynamics to test hypothesized
feeding modes for the fence-like rangeomorph Pectinifrons abyssalis, comparing this to the
morphologically similar extant carnivorous sponge Chondrocladia lyra. Our results reveal
complex patterns of flow around P. abyssalis unlike those previously reconstructed for any …