Phytophilaspis

Phytophilaspis is a phosphatized[2] genus of trilobite-like arthropod with eyes, found in association with algal remains.[1] It dwelt in well-lit, shallow waters.[3]

Phytophilaspis
Temporal range:
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
(unranked): †Artiopoda
Subphylum: †Trilobitomorpha
(unranked): †Xandarellida
Genus: †Phytophilaspis
Ivantsov, 1999[1]
Species
  • P. pergamena Ivantsov, 1999
Holotype specimen, scale bar 2cm

Description

Phytophilaspis has several features in common with trilobites, including: tripartite division of the dorsal shield; presence of prominent pygidium; large eyes, situated on the pleural area of the cephalon; facial sutures, and shape of the hypostome. However, it differs from trilobites in many ways, including a reduced thorax, thoracic pleura fused to each other and to the cephalon and pygidium, facial sutures not crossing the eyes, and weak original mineralization of the cuticle.[1] Because of these differences, Phytophilaspis was originally assigned to the Artiopodan subclass Concilliterga, in an undetermined order and family.[1] It was later considered by Bergström and Hou as a xandarellid, along with Cindarella, Xandarella and Sinoburius.[4] A position that was supported in subsequent studies.[5]

See also

References
  1. Ivantsov, A. Yu. (1999). "Trilobite-like arthropod from the Lower Cambrian of the Siberian Platform" (PDF). Acta Palaeontologica Polonica. 44 (4): 455–466.
  2. Lin, J. ‐P.; Ivantsov, A. Y. U.; Briggs, D. E. G. (2010). "The cuticle of the enigmatic arthropod Phytophilaspis and biomineralization in Cambrian arthropods". Lethaia. 44 (3): 344. doi:10.1111/j.1502-3931.2010.00245.x.
  3. "Articulated palaeoscolecid sclerite arrays from the Lower Cambrian of eastern Siberia" (PDF). Acta Geologica Polonica. 54 (1): 1–2. 2004. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2011-07-16. Retrieved 2010-11-03.
  4. Bergström, J.; Hou, X. G. (2003). "Arthropod origins" (PDF). Bulletin of Geosciences. 78 (4): 323–334. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2016-03-04. Retrieved 2014-03-03.
  5. Chen, Xiaohan; Ortega-Hernández, Javier; Wolfe, Joanna M.; Zhai, Dayou; Hou, Xianguang; Chen, Ailin; Mai, Huijuan; Liu, Yu (December 2019). "The appendicular morphology of Sinoburius lunaris and the evolution of the artiopodan clade Xandarellida (Euarthropoda, early Cambrian) from South China". BMC Evolutionary Biology. 19 (1): 165. doi:10.1186/s12862-019-1491-3. ISSN 1471-2148. PMC 6685191. PMID 31387545.


This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.