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Onychophoran
Onychophora (from , , "claws"; and , , "to carry"), commonly known as velvet worms (for their velvety texture and somewhat wormlike appearance) or more ambiguously as peripatus (after the first described genus, '' Peripatus''), is a phylum of elongate, soft-bodied, many-legged animals. In appearance they have variously been compared to worms with legs, caterpillars, and slugs. They prey upon other invertebrates, which they catch by ejecting an adhesive slime. Approximately 200 species of velvet worms have been described, although the true number is likely to be much greater. The two extant families of velvet worms are Peripatidae and Peripatopsidae. They show a peculiar distribution, with the peripatids being predominantly equatorial and tropical, while the peripatopsids are all found south of the equator. It is the only phylum within Animalia that is wholly endemic to terrestrial environments, at least among extant members. Velvet worms are generally considered close relative ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Antennipatus
''Antennipatus montceauensis'' is an extinct species of onychophoran, a group colloquially known as velvet worms, from the Montceau-les-Mines lagerstätte of what is now France. The animal is the sole member of its genus and notably the oldest confirmed onychophoran fossil. While known of since the 1980s, ''Antennipatus'' was described almost 4 decades later in 2016. Currently, the animal has three described specimens with varying levels of preservation. All of are 305 million years old and date to the Stephanian (stage), Stephanian stage of the Late Carboniferous. Anatomically, ''Antennipatus'' resembles modern velvet worms. The animal had rings of Dermal papillae (Onychophora), dermal papillae along most of its body, with those on the Antenna (zoology), antennae alternating between wide and narrow bands. On its underside, Antennipatus had a putative ventral mouth that preserved what were likely Onychophora#Mouth and jaws, lip papillae. The animal had stubby Leg, legs, and on o ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Antennacanthopodia
''Antennacanthopodia'' is a small lobopodian from the Chengjiang biota that dates to about 520 million years ago (Cambrian Stage 3). It is similar to the extant Onychophora (velvet worm) and is the only widely accepted Stem-group, stem-onychophoran lobopodian from the Cambrian period. ''Antennacanthopodia'' had nine pairs of stubby legs, a pair of potential ocelli, and two pairs of Antenna (zoology), antennae. The first pair of antennae were much longer than the second and are still present in modern onychophorans. The identity of the smaller antennae are less clear, but they might be homologous with either the slime papillae or onychophoran jaw. The animal also had diminutive spines on its legs and trunk, highly sclerotised, sclerotized foot pads, and possible pair of tendril-like appendages at the end of its body. Discovery and naming Both fossils of ''Antennacanthopodia'' were excavated from the upper Yu'anshan Member of the Lower cambrian, Lower Cambrian Heilinpu Formation. ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Panarthropoda
Panarthropoda is a clade comprising the greatest diversity of animal groups. It contains the extant phyla Arthropoda (Euarthropoda), Tardigrada (water bears) and Onychophora (velvet worms), although the precise relationships among these remained uncertain according to studies published in 2023 and 2024. Panarthropods also include extinct marine legged worms known as lobopodians (" Lobopodia"), a paraphyletic group where the last common ancestor and basal members ( stem-group) of each extant panarthropod phylum are thought to have risen. However the term "Lobopodia" is sometimes expanded to include tardigrades and onychophorans as well. Common characteristics of the Panarthropoda include a segmented body, paired ladder-like ventral nervous system, and the presence of paired appendages correlated with body segments. Taxonomy Not all studies support the monophyly of Panarthropoda, but most do, including neuroanatomical, phylogenomic and palaeontological studies. At l ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Cretoperipatus
''Cretoperipatus burmiticus'' is an extinct species of velvet worm known from Burmese amber. It is the sole member of the genus ''Cretoperipatus''. This animal lived in what is now Myanmar's Kachin State during the Cenomanian age of the Late Cretaceous. When first discovered, the back of ''Cretoperipatus'' was misinterpreted as its the front. This led to multiple incorrect interpretations of the animal's anatomy, something only realized 14 years later. ''Cretoperipatus'' is known from several specimens that show a variety of sizes, ages, and levels of preservation. One fossil is exceptionally preserved, allowing detailed analysis of its morphology and coloration. ''Cretoperipatus'' had 22 pairs of legs and was brown with a lighter underbelly. It also had multiple types of dermal papillae (small bumps on its cuticle) found across the body. The animal’s head possessed a pair of antennae, two well-developed ocelli (a type of simple eye), a pair of slime papillae, a pair of ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Succinipatopsis
''Succinipatopsis'' is an extinct genus of animal from Eocene-aged Baltic amber. This animal is known from a single fossil that preserves a body with 10 pairs of stubby appendages, with a hole between the third pair. Due to its poor preservation, the placement of ''Succinipatopsis'' is contested, as there are multiple interpretations of its anatomy. Some researchers consider it an onychophoran (velvet worm) that lost its claws when fossilized. Others reject this affinity due to differences between its Cuticle (arthropod), cuticle and its apparent lack of Apomorphy and synapomorphy, onychophoran-specific traits. Discovery and naming ''Succinipatopsis'' was first mentioned in a 1996 paper by George Poinar Jr., who formally Description (biology), described it four years later. ''Succinipatopsis'' was found in Eocene-aged Baltic amber which dates to roughly 40 million years ago. Its location or even country of origin is unknown. ''Succinipatopsis'' is known from a single fossil th ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Plicatoperipatus Jamaicensis
''Plicatoperipatus'' is a monospecific genus of velvet worm containing the single species ''Plicatoperipatus jamaicensis''. It is endemic to Jamaica. Females of this species can have as many as 43 pairs of legs, the maximum number found in the phylum Onychophora. In a large sample collected in 1988, however, females ranged from 35 to 39 leg pairs, with 37 as the mean and the most common number, and males ranged from 31 to 37 leg pairs, with 35 as the mean and the most common number. This species ranges from 25 mm to 65 mm in length. In the 1988 sample, the mean length for males was 33 mm, and the mean length for mature females was 51 mm. This species is viviparous, with mothers supplying nourishment to their embryos through a placenta. Conservation This species is listed as Near Threatened by the IUCN Red List The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List of Threatened Species, also known as the IUCN Red List or Red Data Book, founded in 1964, is an ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Tertiapatus
''Tertiapatus'' is an extinct genus of supposed onychophoran known from Dominican amber deposits. The only known species described is ''Tertiapatus dominicanus''. Other authors have doubted its status as an onchyophoran, due to its arthropodized antennae and articulated exoskeleton, which suggests that it is likely an arthropod Arthropods ( ) are invertebrates in the phylum Arthropoda. They possess an arthropod exoskeleton, exoskeleton with a cuticle made of chitin, often Mineralization (biology), mineralised with calcium carbonate, a body with differentiated (Metam .... References Prehistoric onychophorans Onychophorans of tropical America Monotypic onychophoran genera Prehistoric protostome genera Taxa named by George Poinar Jr. {{Onychophora-stub ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Arthropoda
Arthropods ( ) are invertebrates in the phylum Arthropoda. They possess an exoskeleton with a cuticle made of chitin, often mineralised with calcium carbonate, a body with differentiated ( metameric) segments, and paired jointed appendages. In order to keep growing, they must go through stages of moulting, a process by which they shed their exoskeleton to reveal a new one. They form an extremely diverse group of up to ten million species. Haemolymph is the analogue of blood for most arthropods. An arthropod has an open circulatory system, with a body cavity called a haemocoel through which haemolymph circulates to the interior organs. Like their exteriors, the internal organs of arthropods are generally built of repeated segments. They have ladder-like nervous systems, with paired ventral nerve cords running through all segments and forming paired ganglia in each segment. Their heads are formed by fusion of varying numbers of segments, and their brains are formed by fu ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Peripatopsidae
Peripatopsidae or the Southern Velvet Worms are one of two extant families of velvet worm. This family includes more than 140 described species distributed among 41 genera, but some authorities deem only 131 of these species to be valid. The French zoologist Eugène Louis Bouvier proposed this family in 1905 with '' Peripatopsis'' as the type genus. Description The Peripatopsidae exhibit relatively many characteristics that are perceived as original or "primitive" with respect to the Peripatidae. The species in this family have relatively few legs, ranging from 13 pairs (in '' Ooperipatellus nanus'') to a maximum of 29 pairs (in '' Paraperipatus papuensis''). Behind or between the last leg pair is the genital opening (gonopore). This family includes both oviparous genera (e.g., '' Ooperipatellus'' and '' Ooperipatus'') and viviparous genera, which adopt various modes of supplying nourishment to their embryos, ranging from lecithotrophic ovoviviparity (with yolky eggs retained ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Helenodora
''Helenodora'' is an extinct basal onychophoran or lobopodian genus known from the Carboniferous Carbondale Formation of Illinois. The only known species described is ''H. inopinata''. The ecology of this animal is not well known, but it is thought that it may have lived on land and/or underwater. Discovery and naming At the moment, ''Helenodora'' is known from ten specimens found in the Middle Pennsylvanian, Francis Creek Shale of Illinois. All were found in siderite concretions from Mazon Creek fossil beds, a lagerstätte that contains animals like the famous " Tully Monster". The first specimens found (the holotype FMNH PE 29049 and paratype FMNH PE 29050) were described during the 80's and are composed of both a part and counterpart. These were deposited in the invertebrate fossil collection of the Field Museum of Natural History of Chicago, Illinois. Other specimens include FMNH PE 13966, 33380, 33822, 45049, and 49784 and FMNH ROM 47513, 45565, and 47978. ''Helen ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Mongeperipatus Solorzanoi
''Mongeperipatus solorzanoi'', also known as Solórzano's velvet worm, is a species of velvet worm in the family Peripatidae. This species is the largest known velvet worm, reaching 22 cm (8.7 in.) in length. This velvet worm is found in the Caribbean coastal forest of Costa Rica. Discovery This species was first described in 2010 by the biologists Bernal Morera-Brenes and Julián Monge-Nájera based on fourteen female specimens and two male specimens. These specimens include a female holotype found by the Costa Rican herpetologist Alejandro Solórzano in Guayacán de Siquirres in Costa Rica in 1996, four young paratypes born to the holotype soon after her capture, and other paratypes collected in 2000. The specific name ''solorzanoi'' is in honor of Solórzano, who discovered the species. The holotype is deposited in the Museo de Zoología de la Universidad de Costa Rica in San José, Costa Rica. Taxonomy Morera-Brenes and Monge-Nájera first described this species i ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Ooperipatellus
''Ooperipatellus'' is a genus of Australian and New Zealand velvet worms in the Peripatopsidae family. Species in this genus are oviparous. This genus was proposed by Hilke Ruhberg in 1985, with '' Ooperipatellus insignis'' designed at the type species. This genus is notable as the only one in which velvet worms have no more than 14 pairs of legs: Description Most species in this genus have 14 leg pairs, and '' O. nanus'' has only 13 pairs, the minimum number found in the phylum Onychophora. Velvet worms in this genus are also among the smallest known, with adults often only 10 to 20 mm long. Species in this genus range in size from ''O nanus'', which can be only 5 mm long, to '' O. nickmayeri'', which can reach 60 mm in length. Velvet worms in this genus have no modified head papillae, the males feature a cruciform genital opening (gonopore), and the females feature an ovipositor. This genus contains all oviparous velvet worm species with 13 or 14 leg pairs and no modified hea ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
