Saperion Explained

Saperion is an extinct genus of trilobite-like arthropod. It lived during the late Atdabanian stage,^[1] which lasted from 521 to 514 million years ago during the early part of the Cambrian Period. It was found in the Maotianshan Shales of Yunnan, China.^[2] Similar to the closely-related Skioldia and Tegopelte, the head shield and trunk tergites were fused into a single plate. There are about 19 furrows indicating the original trunk segments. a small anterior sclerite articulated to the front of its head.^[3] A pair of antennae and lateral eyes located ventrally behind the anterior sclerite, lateral to the hypostome.^[4] Saperion reached 151 mm in length and had nearly 25 pairs of biramous limbs for walking.^[5]

Notes and References

1. Sepkoski. Jack. A compendium of fossil marine animal genera (Trilobita entry). Bulletins of American Paleontology. 364. 560. 2002. 2008-01-12 .
2. Xianguang. Hou. Ramskold. Lars. Bergstrom. Jan. October 1991. Composition and preservation of the Chengjiang fauna -a Lower Cambrian soft-bodied biota. Zoologica Scripta. en. 20. 4. 395–411. 10.1111/j.1463-6409.1991.tb00303.x. 85077111. 0300-3256.
3. Book: Hou . Xianguang . Arthropods of the Lower Cambrian Chengjiang fauna, southwest China . Bergstöm . Jan . Bergström . Jan . 1997 . Scandinavian Univ. Press . 978-82-00-37693-4 . Fossils and Strata . Oslo.
4. Edgecombe . Gregory D. . Ramsköld . Lars . March 1999 . Relationships of Cambrian Arachnata and the systematic position of Trilobita . Journal of Paleontology . en . 73 . 2 . 263–287 . 10.1017/S0022336000027761 . 1999JPal...73..263E . 84029615 . 0022-3360.
5. Nicholas J. Minter, M. Gabriela Mángano & Jean-Bernard Caron . 2011 . Skimming the surface with Burgess Shale arthropod locomotion . . 279 . 1733 . 1613–1620. 10.1098/rspb.2011.1986 . 22072605 . 3282348.