Archipolypoda

Summary

Archipolypoda is an extinct group of millipedes known from fossils in Europe and North America and containing the earliest known land animals.[1] The Archipolypoda was erected by Scudder (1882)[2] but redefined in 2005 with the description of several new species from Scotland.[3] Distinguishing characteristics include relatively large eyes with densely packed ocelli (sometimes interpreted as compound eyes), and modified leg pairs on the 8th body ring.[3][4] Some species had prominent spines while others had a flattened appearance.[3][5]

Archipolypoda
Temporal range: Lochkovian–Pennsylvanian
Reconstruction of Acantherpestes major
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Subphylum: Myriapoda
Class: Diplopoda
Subclass: Chilognatha
Superorder: Archipolypoda
Scudder, 1882
Orders

Archidesmida
Cowiedesmida
Euphoberiida
Palaeosomatida

Synonyms

Macrosterni Fritsch, 1899
Palaeocoxopleura Verhoeff, 1928

Cross-section (left) and side view (right) of a Euphoberiid archipolypodan body segment showing prominent tergal spines and two pair of legs.

Classification edit

The Archipolypoda as currently recognized consists of four orders,[6] many with monotypic families and genera, as well as five species of uncertain placement (incertae sedis).[3][7]

Archidesmida Wilson & Anderson, 2004

Cowiedesmida Wilson & Anderson, 2004

Euphoberiida Hoffman, 1969

Palaeosomatida Hannibal & Krzeminski, 2005. Carboniferous, UK and Poland[9]


Order incertae sedis

See also edit

References edit

  1. ^ Selden, Paul; Helen Read (2008). "The Oldest Land Animals: Silurian Millipedes from Scotland" (PDF). Bulletin of the British Myriapod & Isopod Group. 23: 36–37.
  2. ^ Scudder, Samuel H. (1882). "Archipolypoda, a Subordinal Type of Spined Myriapods from the Carboniferous Formation". Memoirs of the Boston Society of Natural History. 3 (5): 143.
  3. ^ a b c d Wilson, Heather M.; Anderson, Lyall I. (2004). "Morphology and taxonomy of Paleozoic millipedes (Diplopoda: Chilognatha: Archipolypoda) from Scotland". Journal of Paleontology. 78 (1): 169–184. doi:10.1666/0022-3360(2004)078<0169:MATOPM>2.0.CO;2. JSTOR 4094847. S2CID 131201588.
  4. ^ Sierwald, Petra; Bond, Jason E. (2007). "Current Status of the Myriapod Class Diplopoda (Millipedes): Taxonomic Diversity and Phylogeny". Annual Review of Entomology. 52 (1): 401–420. doi:10.1146/annurev.ento.52.111805.090210. PMID 17163800.
  5. ^ Wilson, Heather M.; Daeschler, Edward B.; Desbiens, Sylvain (2005). "New Flat-Backed Archipolypodan Millipedes from the Upper Devonian of North America". Journal of Paleontology. 79 (4): 738–744. doi:10.1666/0022-3360(2005)079[0738:NFAMFT]2.0.CO;2. JSTOR 4095046. S2CID 140190612.
  6. ^ Shear, William A.; Edgecombe, Gregory D. (2010). "The geological record and phylogeny of the Myriapoda". Arthropod Structure & Development. 39 (2–3): 174–190. doi:10.1016/j.asd.2009.11.002. PMID 19944188.
  7. ^ Wilson, Heather M. (2005). "A new genus of Archipolypodan millipede from the Coseley Lagerstatte, Upper Carboniferous, UK". Palaeontology. 48 (5): 1097–1100. Bibcode:2005Palgy..48.1097W. doi:10.1111/j.1475-4983.2005.00496.x.
  8. ^ a b c Suarez, Stephanie E.; Brookfield, Michael E.; Catlos, Elizabeth J.; Stöckli, Daniel F. (2017-06-28). "A U-Pb zircon age constraint on the oldest-recorded air-breathing land animal". PLOS ONE. 12 (6): e0179262. Bibcode:2017PLoSO..1279262S. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0179262. ISSN 1932-6203. PMC 5489152. PMID 28658320.
  9. ^ Hannibal, Joseph T.; Krzeminski, Wieslaw (2005). "A palaeosomatid millipede (Archipolypoda: palaeosomatida) from the Carboniferous (Namurian A) of Silesia, Poland". Polskie Pismo Entomologiczne. 74 (3): 205–217.

External links edit

  • Archipolypoda- The Virtual Fossil Museum
  • Orsadesmus rubecollus, Devonian Times
  • Fossil find 'oldest land animal'- BBC News