Cambropachycope

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Cambropachycope
Temporal range: Upper Cambrian
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Family: Cambropachycopidae
Genus: Cambropachycope
Walossek & Müller, 1990
Type species
Cambropachycope clarksoni
Walossek & Müller, 1990

Cambropachycope is a genus of small (1.5 mm (0.059 in) long) extinct Cambrian arthropods, known from the Orsten lagerstätten in southern Sweden. It appears to have several apomorphic features, notably including a single large compound eye.[1]

Morphology[edit]

Anatomy of Cambropachycope

The head of Cambropachycope have unusual anterior projection of the head that bears single large compound eye. Eye structure is well preserved, and it shows three layers in cornea, an outermost and innermost layer of transparent material and a hollow middle layer containing a dark material. Middle layer was probably used for serving to filter out the blue, scattered light from sunlight.[2] There are four pairs of appendages on its head. First pair of appendages is treated as antenna, and other appendages on head are biramous. Mouth opens on the ventral surface in front of the second pair of appendages.[1] Abdomen have four segments with two pairs of paddle-shaped appendages, and telson.[1]

Ecology[edit]

According to its eye structure, Cambropachycope was probably a predator.[2]

Classification[edit]

Reconstruction of Goticaris, genus related to Cambropachycope

It is hesitantly presumed to be an early offshoot under the clade Pancrustacea in original description. It consists of the species Cambropachycope clarksoni. Other organisms, including Henningsmoenicaris and Martinssonia also discovered in Orsten, may exist at a similar place on the phylogenetic tree. Collectively, this may have implications for the origins of the crustaceans.[1] However, later study placed this genus outside Pancrustacea, and just treated as stem-group Mandibulata.[3]


See also[edit]

References[edit]

  1. ^ a b c d Waloszek, Dieter; Müller, Klaus (1990-10-01). "Upper Cambrian stem-lineage crustaceans and their bearing upon the monophyly of Crustacea and the position of Agnostus". Lethaia. 23: 409–427. doi:10.1111/j.1502-3931.1990.tb01373.x.
  2. ^ a b Parker, Andrew R.; Schoenemann, Brigitte; Haug, Joachim T.; Waloszek, Dieter (2013-08-01). "An Unusual Cornea from a Well Preserved ('Orsten') Cambrian Compound Eye". Paleontological Research. 17 (3): 251–261. doi:10.2517/1342-8144-17.3.251. ISSN 1342-8144. S2CID 129851449.
  3. ^ Edgecombe, Gregory D. (2017-09-01). "Inferring Arthropod Phylogeny: Fossils and their Interaction with Other Data Sources". Integrative and Comparative Biology. 57 (3): 467–476. doi:10.1093/icb/icx061. ISSN 1540-7063. PMID 28957518.