Australimicola

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Australimicola
Temporal range: Early Cambrian - Early Ordovician (Fortunian - Tremadocian), 538.8–485.4  Ma [1]
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Clade:† Artiopoda
Genus:† Australimicola
Paterson, García-Bellido & Edgecombe, 2012 [2]
Species:
†A. spriggi
Binomial name
†Australimicola spriggi
Paterson et al., 2012 [2]

Australimicola is a monotypic genus of ancient aquatic arthropods that are related to trilobites, and lived alongside them during the Cambrian and Early Ordovician periods, 538.8 to 485.4 Ma. [1] Only a single species has been described in this genus, Australimicola spriggi. [2]

It was discovered in the Emu Bay Shale on Kangaroo Island, south Australia. [1]

This fossil species is closely related to the Conciliterga clade, which includes genera like Helmetia , Kuamaia and Rhombicalvaria. [1]

It is characterized by an elongated trunk with 23 thoracic tergites, spatulate pleural tips and a small pygidium with a pair of elongated pleural spines. [3]

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 Paterson, John R.; García-Bellido, Diego C.; Edgecombe, Gregory D. (2012). "New artiopodan arthropods from the early Cambrian Emu Bay Shale Konservat-Lagerstätte of South Australia" . Journal of Paleontology. 86 (2): 340–357. Bibcode:2012JPal...86..340P. doi:10.1666/11-077.1.
  2. 1 2 3 "Australimicola Paterson, García-Bellido & Edgecombe, 2012". Global Biodiversity Information Facility . Retrieved 23 May 2025.
  3. ↑ "Morphobank". morphobank.org. Retrieved 2025-05-22.
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