Cretoperipatus burmiticus

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Cretoperipatus burmiticus Fossil range: Middle Cretaceous
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Onychophora Family: Peripatidae Genus: Cretoperipatus Engel & Grimaldi, 2002 Species: C. burmiticus Engel & Grimaldi, 2002
Binomial name
Cretoperipatus burmiticus

Cretoperipatus burmiticus is an extinct species of velvet worm that is known from Cretaceous amber approximately 100 million years old. Found in Kachin state, Myanmar, the species can already be assigned to one of the modern families, the Peripatidae.

While only five leg pairs can be discerned, the information gained from the fossil is enough to preclude assignment to any known modern genus.

Cretoperipatus burmiticus is important in closing a gap between the only other known fossil onychophores, Helenodora inopinata from the Carboniferous and Succinipatopsis balticus plus Tertiapatus dominicanus from the Eocene and Miocene, respectively.