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Extinct Cambrian arthropod From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Musacaris is an extinct genus of Cambrian arthropod from the Orsten Lagerstätte, formerly synonymous with Martinssonia. It contains only a single species, Musacaris gerdgeyeri.
Musacaris Temporal range: | |
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Scientific classification | |
Domain: | Eukaryota |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Arthropoda |
Genus: | †Musacaris Haug et al, 2010 |
Species: | †M. gerdgeyeri |
Binomial name | |
†Musacaris gerdgeyeri Haug et al, 2010 | |
Musacaris is a small (roughly 0.8 mm long), unsegmented arthropod, with four pairs of appendages. It has a pair of antennae, and three pairs of biramous appendages.[1] It also has an unusual projection on its head, possibly the future position of the mouth. The unsegmented body suggests all current specimens of Musacaris may be so-called "head larvae". The five developmental stages are quite similar, with the same amount and positioning of the limbs. Currently, Musacaris is thought to be a basal mandibulate or stem-crustacean, possibly sister to labrophorans (Crustacea and Phosphatocopina).
Musacaris is known from thirteen specimens of different larval forms, all from the Orsten Lagerstätte in Sweden,[1] alongside twenty-one other specimens referred to Martinssonia elongata.[2]
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