Anomalocaris
E779332
Anomalocaris was a large, predatory marine arthropod-like creature from the Cambrian period, notable for its grasping frontal appendages and circular, toothed mouth.
Observed surface forms (1)
| Surface form | Occurrences |
|---|---|
| Anomalocaris canadensis | 0 |
Statements (47)
| Predicate | Object |
|---|---|
| instanceOf |
extinct genus
ⓘ
radiodont ⓘ species ⓘ stem-group arthropod ⓘ |
| approximateAgeInMillionsOfYearsAgo | about 521–485 Ma ⓘ |
| bodyLength | up to about 1 meter ⓘ |
| bodyPlan | elongate segmented body with lateral lobes ⓘ |
| clade | Radiodonta NERFINISHED ⓘ |
| describedBy | Charles Doolittle Walcott NERFINISHED ⓘ |
| diet | carnivorous ⓘ |
| ecologicalRole | apex predator ⓘ |
| feedingMechanism |
grasping prey with frontal appendages
ⓘ
processing prey with circular mouth ⓘ |
| firstAppearance | Early Cambrian ⓘ |
| fossilPreservation | Lagerstätte deposits such as Burgess Shale ⓘ |
| fossilRange | Cambrian NERFINISHED ⓘ |
| fossilsFoundIn |
Burgess Shale, Canada
NERFINISHED
ⓘ
Chengjiang biota, China NERFINISHED ⓘ Emu Bay Shale, Australia NERFINISHED ⓘ |
| geologicalTimeScaleUnit |
Cambrian Series 2 to Furongian (approximate)
ⓘ
Paleozoic era NERFINISHED ⓘ |
| habitat | marine ⓘ |
| kingdom | Animalia ⓘ |
| lastAppearance | Late Cambrian ⓘ |
| livedDuring | Cambrian period NERFINISHED ⓘ |
| locomotion | swimming using lateral lobes ⓘ |
| nameMeaning | "abnormal shrimp" ⓘ |
| notableFeature |
circular toothed mouth (oral cone)
ⓘ
large grasping frontal appendages ⓘ large lateral swimming lobes ⓘ paired compound eyes ⓘ |
| originalMisinterpretation | thought to be separate animals (frontal appendages, mouth, body) from different species ⓘ |
| paleoenvironment | Cambrian shallow marine ecosystems ⓘ |
| parentTaxon | Anomalocaris NERFINISHED ⓘ |
| phylum | Arthropoda (sensu lato) NERFINISHED ⓘ |
| possiblePrey | trilobites (debated) ⓘ |
| reconstructionHistory | body parts later recognized as belonging to a single animal ⓘ |
| relatedTo |
Hurdia
NERFINISHED
ⓘ
Peytoia NERFINISHED ⓘ |
| researchTopic | functional morphology of frontal appendages and mouth ⓘ |
| scientificSignificance | important for understanding early arthropod evolution ⓘ |
| status | extinct ⓘ |
| tailFeature | tail fan used for maneuvering ⓘ |
| taxonRank | genus ⓘ |
| trophicLevel | predator of soft-bodied animals ⓘ |
| typeSpecies | Anomalocaris canadensis NERFINISHED ⓘ |
| yearDescribed | 1892 ⓘ |
Referenced by (2)
Full triples — surface form annotated when it differs from this entity's canonical label.
subject surface form:
Burgess Shale