Actaeus armatus

Actaeus is a genus of leanchoiliid megacheiran arthropod, containing the single species Actaeus armatus. It is known from a single specimen recovered from the Middle Cambrian Burgess Shale of British Columbia, Canada,^[1] and it may be actually a poorly preserved specimen of Alalcomenaeus.^[2] The specimen is over 6 cm long and has a body consisting of a head shield, 11 body tergites, and a terminal plate.^[3] It was named after Actaeus, first king of attica, and armatus a combination of greek and latin words to describe the frontal appendages of the species.^[4]

Actaeus armatus Temporal range: Middle Cambrian PreꞒ Ꞓ O S D C P T J K Pg N
Holotype specimen
Reconstruction of Actaeus
Scientific classification
Domain:	Eukaryota
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Arthropoda
Class:	†Megacheira
Order:	†Leanchoilida
Family:	†Leanchoiliidae
Genus:	†Actaeus Simonetta, 1970
Species:	†A. armatus
Binomial name
†Actaeus armatus Simonetta, 1970

References

1. Briggs, Derek E. G.; Collins, Desmond (1988). "A Middle Cambrian chelicerate from Mount Stephen, British Columbia" (PDF). Palaeontology. 31 (3): 779–798. Archived from the original (PDF) on July 16, 2011. Retrieved April 4, 2010.
2. Briggs, Derek E. G.; Collins, Desmond (1999). "The Arthropod Alalcomenaeus cambricus Simonetta, from the Middle Cambrian Burgess Shale of British Columbia". Palaeontology. 42 (6): 953–977. doi:10.1111/1475-4983.00104. ISSN 0031-0239.
3. Whittington, H. B. (May 12, 1981). "Rare Arthropods from the Burgess Shale, Middle Cambrian, British Columbia". Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B. 292 (1060): 329–357. Bibcode:1981RSPTB.292..329W. doi:10.1098/rstb.1981.0033.
4. "Actaeus armatus. Burgess Shale Fossil Gallery". Virtual Museum of Canada. (Burgess Shale species 23). Archived from the original on March 26, 2023.

External links

• "Actaeus armatus. Burgess Shale Fossil Gallery". Virtual Museum of Canada. (Burgess Shale species 23). Archived from the original on March 26, 2023.