Talk:Anomalocarid

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[edit] Categories

72.134.44.224 20:48, 30 September 2006 (UTC)I'm not very experienced with Wikipedia, but I noticed that two categories were virtually parallel and should have links between each other. The Cambrian Category holds a mishmash of geologic periods, vertebrates and invertebrates. The Prehistoric Arthropods category holds several Cambrian arthropods that are not in the Cambrian category. So, I added several Cambrian invertebrates (some of them of uncertain classification, but it is much easier to find them in one unified category). It might make sense to have a sub-category in Prehistoric Arthropods for prehistoric invertebrates of uncertain classification, or vice versa. To try to make this little post understood so it can be discussed, I will post this in the talk page for Anomalocaris, Anomalocarid, Aysheaia, and Hallucigenia. Hope this helps Wikipedia's support of a nice little-known topic.

[edit] Laggania's lifestyle

The reconstructions of Laggania at http://www.trilobites.info/species3.html have features which to me suggest a bottom-feeder rather than a plankton feeder:

  • eyes completely dorsal as well as posterior to those of Anomalocaris, and with noticeably short stalks (i.e. less mobile). Dorsal eyes would help a bottom-feeder to look out for more dangerous predators, e.g. Anomalocaris. I suspect that in a plankton feeder selection pressure would favour lateral eyes on longer stalks so that the animal could look up / forward for food and in all directions for danger. Dorsal eyes would not help a bottom-feeder to capture prey, but the mud it stirred up would reduce the eyes' contribution to capturing prey; and Laggania may have had good tactile and chemical senses (insects' antennae provide these senses, and antennae are modified legs).
  • longer spines than Anomalocaris on the pre-oral appendages. These would be good for raking sand and mud. Most plankton feeders which use appendages have dozens of very slender, feather-like appendages to maximise the capture / filter surface, and Laggania has only 2 fairly robust appendages. The manta ray uses 2 appendages (cephalic fins) to channel plankton into its mouth, but the manta's cephalic fins are broad flaps, not segmented arms with spines.
  • the usual relatively small anomalocarid mouth. Most large plankton feeders have huge mouths to hoover up their prey.

Laggania also has:

  • no fantail at the rear
  • more rigid lateral lobes than Anomalocaris

which suggests its was slower and less agile than Anomalocaris. This is consistent with both a plankton-feeder and a bottom-feeder. Philcha 18:42, 5 October 2006 (UTC)

While these are very interesting conclusions (and I am not opposed to them), they also constitute original research. Get a citation, and we'll incorporate it into the article. If you can't find a citation for it, then I suggest that you head into invertebrate paleontology and publish a paper that we can cite here. Last and not least, perhaps this part of the discussion needs to be moved to the specific section for the individual species? Aderksen (talk) 18:39, 15 April 2008 (UTC)

[edit] Merging with the Anomalocaris article

This is only a suggestion. Anyone for it? Giant Blue Anteater 17:20, 21 October 2006 (UTC)

I second it (anon)

No, we should not. After all, mosasaur and Mosasaurus are two distinct articles, after all.--Mr Fink 15:40, 29 April 2007 (UTC)

[edit] Branchiopods

The article briefly mentions Brine Shrimp, though it seems anomalocaris bears an even closer resemblance to Fairy Shrimp, and seems to have a few traits in common with other Branchiopods. Take a look at these pages...

Does anyone know any more (or at least know anywhere it's been discussed at greater depth)? --Xanthine 01:29, 30 January 2007 (UTC)

If you can find a citation for it, then mentioning these similarities would be valuable. As it is, this comes dangerously close to "original research". As suggested above: if you can demonstrate through cladistic morphological trait analysis that Anomalocaridae bear many synapomorphies with either of those groups, then you have an excellent topic for a graduate thesis in invertebrate paleontology, and we will be glad to cite you as an authority when you do publish it. Aderksen (talk) 18:39, 15 April 2008 (UTC)

[edit] Short story title

Anyone have the title of Shusterman's short story?

[edit] Largest animal?

The article states that "Anomalocarids are the largest Cambrian animals known." Wouldn't that make them the largest animal to ever inhabit the planet up to that point? If so, I think it'd be worth noting that. Jacob1207 01:44, 17 September 2007 (UTC)

Some of the Ediacara biota were larger: but who knows how they related to animals! Smith609 Talk 11:27, 9 May 2008 (UTC)