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THE PLACE OF THE HOPLOCARIDA IN THE MALACOSTRACAN PANTHEON

2000; Oxford University Press; Volume: 20; Issue: 5 Linguagem: Inglês

10.1163/1937240x-90000002

1937-240X

Les Watling, Cees H.J. Hof, Frederick R. Schram,

Marine and fisheries research

The stomatopod body plan is highly specialized for predation, yet the Superorder Hoplocarida originated from something other than the lean, mean, killing machine seen today. The fossil record of the group indicates that it originated early on from a non-raptorial ancestor, with the specialized predatory morphology developing much later. The Recent Hoplocarida have been variously positioned within the Malacostraca, from a Subclass equal in rank to the Eumalacostraca (= Caridoida) to being placed as a Superorder within the Eumalacostraca. Consideration of the early fossil morphology, especially of the form of the carapace, of the position and functioning of the articles in the last three pairs of thoracopods, and of other features, suggests that hoplocarids are early derivatives of a basal eumalacostracan stock that was shrimp-like in form. The enhancement of an abdominal respiratory system most likely allowed the development of the anterior thorax into the specialized raptorial system present today. We want to build a phylogenetic tree that presents the actual evolutionary his