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A new crustacean from the Herefordshire (Silurian) Lagerstätte, UK, and its significance in malacostracan evolution

2017; Royal Society; Volume: 284; Issue: 1851 Linguagem: Inglês

10.1098/rspb.2017.0279

1471-2954

David J. Siveter, Derek E. G. Briggs, Derek J. Siveter, Mark D. Sutton, David Legg,

Marine Biology and Ecology Research

gen. et sp. nov. is a three-dimensionally preserved fossil crustacean with soft parts from the Herefordshire (Silurian) Lagerstätte, UK. It is characterized by a head with a head shield and five limb pairs, and a thorax (pereon) with nine appendage-bearing segments followed by an apodous abdomen (pleon). All the appendages except the first are biramous and have a gnathobase. The post-mandibular appendages are similar one to another, and bear petal-shaped epipods that probably functioned as a part of the respiratory-circulatory system. Cladistic analysis resolves the new taxon as a stem-group leptostracan (Malacostraca). This well-preserved arthropod provides novel insights into the evolution of appendage morphology, tagmosis and the possible respiratory-circulatory physiology of a basal malacostracan.