Biology:Plenocaris

From HandWiki
Short description: Extinct genus of arthropods

Plenocaris
Temporal range: Chengjiang–Burgess shale
Plenocaris.png
Life restoration
Scientific classification edit
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Clade: Mandibulata
Order: Hymenocarina
Family: Waptiidae
Genus: Plenocaris
Whittington 1974
Species:
P. plena
Binomial name
Plenocaris plena
(Walcott 1912)
Fossil of Plenocaris pena

Plenocaris plena is a Cambrian arthropod with a bivalved carapace, and is known from the Burgess shale[1] and Chengjiang.[2] Originally described as a species of Yohoia by Walcott in 1912, it was placed into its own genus in 1974.

The head has a pair of simple antennae. The body has 13 tergites, with trunk tergites 2 to 4 having pairs of elongate and uniramous appendages, with appendages absent from the other body segments.[3] The body terminates with paired tail flukes. unlike waptiids, but similar to Synophalos, the tail flukes lack segmentation.[4] 106 specimens of Plenocaris are known from the Greater Phyllopod bed, where they comprise 0.20% of the community.[5] It has been suggested to be a member of Hymenocarina, which contains numerous other Cambrian bivalved arthropods.[6] Some specimens have been found with sediment within the gut tract, suggesting it was a deposit feeder. The lack of swimming appendages means that swimming was likely primarily accomplished with movement of the trunk and tail fan.[3]

References

  1. Whittington, Harry B. (1974), "Yohoia Walcott and Plenocaris n. Gen., arthropods from the Burgess Shale, Middle Cambrian, British Columbia", Geological Survey of Canada, Bulletin: 1–21 
  2. Hou, Xian-Guang; Bergström, J. (1997), "Arthropods of the Lower Cambrian Chengjiang fauna, southwest China", Fossils & Strata (Scandinavian University Press) 45: 116 
  3. 3.0 3.1 "Plenocaris plena" (in en-US). Royal Ontario Museum. https://burgess-shale.rom.on.ca/fossils/plenocaris-plena/. 
  4. Yang, Jie; Ortega-Hernández, Javier; Lan, Tian; Hou, Jin-bo; Zhang, Xi-guang (2016-06-10). "A predatory bivalved euarthropod from the Cambrian (Stage 3) Xiaoshiba Lagerstätte, South China" (in en). Scientific Reports 6 (1): 27709. doi:10.1038/srep27709. ISSN 2045-2322. PMID 27283406. Bibcode2016NatSR...627709Y. 
  5. Caron, Jean-Bernard; Jackson, Donald A. (October 2006). "Taphonomy of the Greater Phyllopod Bed community, Burgess Shale". PALAIOS 21 (5): 451–65. doi:10.2110/palo.2003.P05-070R. Bibcode2006Palai..21..451C. 
  6. Vannier, Jean; Aria, Cédric; Taylor, Rod S.; Caron, Jean-Bernard (June 2018). "Waptia fieldensis Walcott, a mandibulate arthropod from the middle Cambrian Burgess Shale" (in en). Royal Society Open Science 5 (6): 172206. doi:10.1098/rsos.172206. ISSN 2054-5703. PMID 30110460. Bibcode2018RSOS....572206V. 

Further reading

Briggs, D.E.G. (1983), "Affinities and early evolution of the Crustacea: the evidence of the Cambrian fossils", Crustacean Issues, http://www.vliz.be/Vmdcdata/IMIS2/ref.php?refid=12761 

External links

Wikidata ☰ Q7204547 entry