Phallocephale

Phallocephale is a monospecific genus of ovoviviparous velvet worm containing the single species Phallocephale tallagandensis. Males are distinguished by the presence of an eversible knoblike structure on the head, whereas females instead have a depression on their head. This species has 15 pairs of legs in both sexes. The type locality of this species is Tallaganda National Park, New South Wales, Australia.[1] This species exhibits lecithotrophic ovoviviparity; that is, mothers in this species retain yolky eggs in their uteri.[2]

Phallocephale
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Onychophora
Family: Peripatopsidae
Genus: Phallocephale
Reid, 1996
Species:
P. tallagandensis
Binomial name
Phallocephale tallagandensis
Reid, 1996

Etymology

The name of the genus is derived from the Greek phallos (meaning penis) and kephale (meaning head), referring to the structure present on the heads of males of this species. The specific epithet refers to Tallaganda National Park, where this species was discovered.[1]

References

  1. Reid, A. L. (1996). "Review of the Peripatopsidae (Onychophora) in Australia, with Comments on Peripatopsid Relationships". Invertebrate Taxonomy. 10 (4): 663–936. doi:10.1071/IT9960663.
  2. Mayer, Georg; Franke, Franziska Anni; Treffkorn, Sandra; Gross, Vladimir; de Sena Oliveira, Ivo (2015), Wanninger, Andreas (ed.), "Onychophora", Evolutionary Developmental Biology of Invertebrates 3, Vienna: Springer Vienna, pp. 53–98, doi:10.1007/978-3-7091-1865-8_4, ISBN 978-3-7091-1864-1, retrieved 2023-02-16

Further reading

  • Sands, C. J.; Lancaster, M. L.; Austin, J. J.; Sunnucks, P. (2009). "Single copy nuclear DNA markers for the onychophoran Phallocephale tallagandensis". Conservation Genetics Resources. 1 (1): 7–19. doi:10.1007/s12686-009-9004-0. S2CID 1021258.


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