Cyclida Temporal range: (possible Cretaceous records) | |
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Diagram of Brittaniclus rankini (formerly Americlus rankini) in ventral view | |
Scientific classification | |
Domain: | Eukaryota |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Arthropoda |
Superclass: | Multicrustacea |
Order: | † Cyclida Schram, Vonk & Hof, 1997 |
Genera | |
See text | |
Synonyms | |
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Cyclida (formerly Cycloidea, and so sometimes known as cycloids) is an extinct order of crab-like fossil arthropods that lived from the Carboniferous to the Jurassic and possibly Cretaceous. Their classification is uncertain, but they are generally interpreted as crustaceans, likely belonging to the superclass Multicrustacea.
Cyclidans have a "striking" resemblance to crabs, [1] with circular to ovoid carapaces, which vary from flat to domed. [2] The carapace covers the entire body. [3] The largest members are over 6 centimetres (2.4 in) across the carapace. [4] Their gill plates are arranged in a horseshoe shape beneath the carapace in at least some species. [3] The head and thorax were fused into a single unit, the cephalothorax. [3] The eyes, when present, were stalked, with the head also bearing two pairs of antennae, the first of which (dubbed the antennulae), are significantly longer than the second. There are at least eight pairs of appendages excluding the antennae and antennulae. The anterior appendages (including the pairs of maxillae and maxillipeds) are modified into chelae-like structures, with the posterior appendages being walking legs, which have sharp terminal segments (dactyli). [2] [3] The abdomen is short with either one or two segments, which ends with a pair of posterior structures, dubbed "caudal rami". [3]
There is considerable debate about the placement of cycloids within the Arthropoda. While they are generally considered to be crustaceans of some kind, doubts have been expressed about the homology of cycloids' respiratory structures with those of other crustaceans, and parallels drawn instead with chelicerates. [5] However, other workers have interpreted the gills as similar to those of crustaceans, and the possession of two pairs of antennae is considered characteristic for many groups of crustaceans. [2]
The first description of a cycloid was in the 1836 treatise Illustrations of the Geology of Yorkshire by John Phillips, [6] [7] where Phillips described "Agnostus ? radialis" among the trilobites, with the text "ribs radiating, with acute puncta; abdomen mucronate". [8] In 1838, Hermann von Meyer described a species of trilobite, albeit in the genus Limulus , and later transferred it to a new genus, Halicyne, recognising that it was something different. [6] In 1841, Laurent-Guillaume de Koninck transferred Phillips' species to a new genus, Cyclus, away from the trilobites, although he later described a second species of Cyclus which was later recognised as the hypostome of a trilobite. [6] Cycloids were later considered to be members of the Xiphosura, true crabs, and branchiurans. [9]
In an unpublished dissertation, Neil D. L. Clark proposed in 1989 that cycloids were copepods. [9] In 1997, Frederick Schram and his co-authors [6] classified them as the sister group to copepods, within the Maxillopoda. [5] In 2008, Jerzy Dzik placed them as an order within the maxillopod suborder Branchiura, which previously contained only the modern fish lice, [4] however, later studies have rejected this placement, due to the similarities between the two groups only being superficial. [3] A 2020 study based on well preserved remains of Americlidae from the Carboniferous of Britain found that Cyclida had the greatest affinities with Copepoda and Malacostraca, and likely represented an independent branch of the Multicrustacea. [10]
While most cyclidans are known from marine environments, a handful are known to have inhabited freshwater environments. Many marine species occupied reef habitats, while other are known to have lived in deep marine settings. [2] The anterior chelae like appendages are suggested to have been used for grasping and manipulating food items. Cyclidans are suggested to have had a similar ecology to modern crabs, including as detritivores, scavengers, predators and consumers of plant matter. [3] A parasitic mode of life has sometimes been suggested for cyclidans, [4] but this has been considered unlikely due to their large size and well calcified skeletons. [3]
Cycloids are known from deposits ranging from the Early Carboniferous to the very end of the Cretaceous (Maastrichtian). They are one of only three groups of "generally Palaeozoic" arthropods to survive the Permian–Triassic extinction event, the others being the freshwater-living Euthycarcinoida and the marine Thylacocephala. [4]
After Schweitzer, Mychko & Feldmann, 2020. [2]
Dendrobranchiata is a suborder of decapods, commonly known as prawns. There are 540 extant species in seven families, and a fossil record extending back to the Devonian. They differ from related animals, such as Caridea and Stenopodidea, by the branching form of the gills and by the fact that they do not brood their eggs, but release them directly into the water. They may reach a length of over 330 millimetres (13 in) and a mass of 450 grams (1.0 lb), and are widely fished and farmed for human consumption.
Xiphosura is an order of arthropods related to arachnids. They are more commonly known as horseshoe crabs. They first appeared in the Hirnantian. Currently, there are only four living species. Xiphosura contains one suborder, Xiphosurida, and several stem-genera.
Anomura is a group of decapod crustaceans, including hermit crabs and others. Although the names of many anomurans include the word crab, all true crabs are in the sister group to the Anomura, the Brachyura.
The Stenopodidea or boxer shrimps are a small group of decapod crustaceans. Often confused with Caridea shrimp or Dendrobranchiata prawns, they are neither, belonging to their own group.
The Thylacocephala are group of extinct probable mandibulate arthropods, that have been considered by some researchers as having possible crustacean affinities. As a class they have a short research history, having been erected in the early 1980s.
The order Pygocephalomorpha is an extinct group of peracarid crustaceans. Pygocephalomorpha were abundant from the Carboniferous era until their extinction in the Permian era.
Platykotta akaina is a species of decapod crustacean from the Triassic of the United Arab Emirates. It is the oldest known fossil from the infraorder Anomura, and is most closely related to Eocarcinus praecursor.
Crustaceans are a group of arthropods that are a part of the subphylum Crustacea, a large, diverse group of mainly aquatic arthropods including decapods, seed shrimp, branchiopods, fish lice, krill, remipedes, isopods, barnacles, copepods, opossum shrimps, amphipods and mantis shrimp. The crustacean group can be treated as a subphylum under the clade Mandibulata. It is now well accepted that the hexapods emerged deep in the Crustacean group, with the completed group referred to as Pancrustacea. The three classes Cephalocarida, Branchiopoda and Remipedia are more closely related to the hexapods than they are to any of the other crustaceans.
This list of fossil arthropods described in 2013 is a list of new taxa of trilobites, fossil insects, crustaceans, arachnids and other fossil arthropods of every kind that have been described during the year 2013. The list only includes taxa at the level of genus or species.
This list of fossil arthropods described in 2015 is a list of new taxa of trilobites, fossil insects, crustaceans, arachnids and other fossil arthropods of every kind that have been described during the year 2015. The list only includes taxa at the level of genus or species.
This list of fossil arthropods described in 2016 is a list of new taxa of trilobites, fossil insects, crustaceans, arachnids and other fossil arthropods of every kind that have been described during the year 2016, as well as other significant discoveries and events related to arthropod paleontology that occurred in the year 2016.
This list of fossil arthropods described in 2017 is a list of new taxa of trilobites, fossil insects, crustaceans, arachnids and other fossil arthropods of every kind that are scheduled to be described during the year 2017, as well as other significant discoveries and events related to arthropod paleontology that are scheduled to occur in the year 2017.
This list of fossil arthropods described in 2011 is a list of new taxa of trilobites, fossil insects, crustaceans, arachnids and other fossil arthropods of every kind that have been described during the year 2011. The list only includes taxa at the level of genus or species.
This list of fossil arthropods described in 2018 is a list of new taxa of trilobites, fossil insects, crustaceans, arachnids, and other fossil arthropods of every kind that were described during the year 2018, as well as other significant discoveries, and events related to arthropod paleontology that are scheduled to occur in the year 2018.
This list of fossil arthropods described in 2019 is a list of new taxa of trilobites, fossil insects, crustaceans, arachnids and other fossil arthropods of every kind that are scheduled to be described during the year 2019, as well as other significant discoveries and events related to arthropod paleontology that are scheduled to occur in the year 2019.
2020 in arthropod paleontology is a list of new arthropod fossil taxa, including arachnids, crustaceans, insects, trilobites, and other arthropods that were announced or described, as well as other significant arthropod paleontological discoveries and events which occurred in 2020.
2021 in arthropod paleontology is a list of new arthropod fossil taxa, including arachnids, crustaceans, insects, trilobites, and other arthropods that were announced or described, as well as other significant arthropod paleontological discoveries and events which occurred in 2021.
2022 in arthropod paleontology is a list of new arthropod fossil taxa, including arachnids, crustaceans, insects, trilobites, and other arthropods that were announced or described, as well as other significant arthropod paleontological discoveries and events which occurred in 2022.
2023 in arthropod paleontology is a list of new arthropod fossil taxa, including arachnids, crustaceans, trilobites, and other arthropods that were announced or described, as well as other significant arthropod paleontological discoveries and events which occurred in 2023.
Protastacus is an extinct genus of decapod crustaceans that lived in what is now Germany during the early Cretaceous period. The type species is P. politus, and a second species, P. antiquus, is also assigned to the genus. Protastacus grew to around 10 cm (3.9 in) long and had a mostly crayfish-like appearance, with enlarged pincer-bearing appendages and a segmented abdomen. Though formerly assigned to the Astacidae or Nephropoidea, it is currently placed as the only genus in the family Protastacidae, which in turn is the only family in the superfamily Protastacoidea.