Dinocaridida

Dinocaridida Temporal range: Cambrian–Lower Devonian PreЄ Є O S D C P T J K Pg N
Amplectobelua symbrachiata
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Stem-group:	Arthropoda
(unranked):	Lobopodia
Class:	†Dinocaridida Collins, 1996
Orders
†Radiodonta †Anomalocarididae (?) †Jianshanopodia †Kerygmachela †Pambdelurion †Parapeytoia †Anomalocarididae †Amplectobelua †Anomalocaris †Caryosyntrips †Cassubia †Cucumericrus †Hurdia †Peytoia †Schinderhannes †Stanleycaris †Opabiniidae †Opabinia †Opabiniidae (?) †Myoscolex †Radiodonta (?) †Tamisiocaris

Dinocaridida^{[derivation 1]} is a proposed extinct taxon^[1] of fossil arthropod-like marine animals found, with one exception, in the early and middle Cambrian. It is subdivided into the anomalocaridids and the opabinids. The name of this group comes from Greek, "deinos" and "caris", meaning "terror shrimp" or "terror crab", due to their crustacean-like appearance and the hypotheses suggesting that members of this class were the apex predators of their time.

Dinocaridids are bilaterally symmetrical, with a non-mineralized cuticle and a body divided into two major tagmata, or body-sections. The frontal section should have one or more claws found just in front of the mouth, which is located on these creatures' underside. The body will possess thirteen or more segments, each with its own gill branch and swimming lobe. It is thought that these lobes moved in an up-and-down motion to propel the animal forward ^[2] in a fashion similar to the cuttlefish.

The placement of Dinocaridida is uncertain: they appear to be a stem group to arthropods. In some recent works they are grouped with other enigmatic forms in the phylum Lobopodia.^[3]

The group is geographically widespread, and has been reported from Cambrian strata in Canada, China and Russia,^[4] as well as the Devonian of Germany.^[5]

Notes

References

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