Archipolypoda Explained

Archipolypoda is an extinct group of millipedes known from fossils in Europe and North America and containing the earliest known land animals.^[1] The Archipolypoda was erected by Scudder (1882)^[2] but redefined in 2005 with the description of several new species from Scotland.^[3] Distinguishing characteristics include relatively large eyes with densely packed ocelli (sometimes interpreted as compound eyes), and modified leg pairs on the 8th body ring.^{[3] [4]} Some species had prominent spines while others had a flattened appearance.^{[3] [5]}

Classification

The Archipolypoda as currently recognized consists of four orders,^[6] many with monotypic families and genera, as well as five species of uncertain placement (incertae sedis).^{[3] [7]}

Archidesmida Wilson & Anderson, 2004

• Archidesmidae Scudder, 1885
  • • Archidesmus macnicoli Peach, 1882. Lower Devonian, Scotland Zanclodesmidae Wilson, Daeschler & Desbiens, 2005
  • Zanclodesmus willetti Wilson, Daeschler & Desbiens, 2005. Upper Devonian, Quebec, Canada
  • Orsadesmus rubecollus Wilson, Daeschler & Desbiens, 2005. Upper Devonian, Pennsylvania, USA

Cowiedesmida Wilson & Anderson, 2004

• Cowiedesmidae Wilson & Anderson, 2004
  • Cowiedesmus eroticopodus Wilson & Anderson, 2004. Mid Silurian or Lower Devonian,^[8] Scotland.

Euphoberiida Hoffman, 1969

• Euphoberiidae Scudder, 1882. Upper Carboniferous of Europe and North America.
  • Acantherpestes Meek & Worthen, 1868
  • Euphoberia Meek & Worthen, 1868
  • Myriacantherpestes Burke, 1979

Palaeosomatida Hannibal & Krzeminski, 2005. Carboniferous, UK and Poland^[9]

• Palaeosomatidae Hannibal & Krzeminski, 2005
  • Palaeosoma

Order incertae sedis

• Albadesmus almondi Wilson & Anderson, 2004 Mid Silurian or Lower Devonian, Scotland
• Anaxeodesmus diambonotus Wilson, 2005 Upper Carboniferous, UK.
• Anthracodesmus macconochiei, Peach, 1899
• Palaeodesmus tuberculata (Brade-Birks, 1923) (=Kampecaris tuberculata) Lower Devonian, Scotland.
• Pneumodesmus newmani Wilson & Anderson, 2004 Mid Silurian or Lower Devonian, Scotland

See also

• Arthropleuridea- Another group of extinct millipedes
• Euthycarcinoidea, a group of enigmatic arthropods that may be ancestral to myriapods
• Colonization of land, major evolutionary stages leading to terrestrial organisms

External links

• Archipolypoda- The Virtual Fossil Museum
• Orsadesmus rubecollus, Devonian Times
• Fossil find 'oldest land animal'- BBC News

Notes and References

1. Selden. Paul. Helen Read. The Oldest Land Animals: Silurian Millipedes from Scotland. Bulletin of the British Myriapod & Isopod Group. 2008. 23. 36–37.
2. Scudder. Samuel H.. Archipolypoda, a Subordinal Type of Spined Myriapods from the Carboniferous Formation. Memoirs of the Boston Society of Natural History. 1882. 3. 5. 143.
3. Wilson. Heather M.. Anderson, Lyall I.. Morphology and taxonomy of Paleozoic millipedes (Diplopoda: Chilognatha: Archipolypoda) from Scotland. Journal of Paleontology. 2004. 78. 1. 169–184. 10.1666/0022-3360(2004)078<0169:MATOPM>2.0.CO;2. 4094847. 2004JPal...78..169W . 131201588 .
4. Sierwald. Petra. Bond, Jason E.. Current Status of the Myriapod Class Diplopoda (Millipedes): Taxonomic Diversity and Phylogeny. Annual Review of Entomology. 2007. 52. 1. 401–420. 10.1146/annurev.ento.52.111805.090210. 17163800.
5. Wilson. Heather M.. Daeschler, Edward B.. Desbiens, Sylvain. New Flat-Backed Archipolypodan Millipedes from the Upper Devonian of North America. Journal of Paleontology. 2005. 79. 4. 738–744. 10.1666/0022-3360(2005)079[0738:NFAMFT]2.0.CO;2. 4095046. 140190612 .
6. Shear. William A.. Edgecombe, Gregory D.. The geological record and phylogeny of the Myriapoda. Arthropod Structure & Development. 2010. 39. 2–3. 174–190. 10.1016/j.asd.2009.11.002. 19944188. 2010ArtSD..39..174S .
7. Wilson. Heather M.. A new genus of Archipolypodan millipede from the Coseley Lagerstatte, Upper Carboniferous, UK. Palaeontology. 2005. 48. 5. 1097–1100. 10.1111/j.1475-4983.2005.00496.x. 2005Palgy..48.1097W . free.
8. Suarez . Stephanie E. . Brookfield . Michael E. . Catlos . Elizabeth J. . Stöckli . Daniel F. . 2017-06-28 . A U-Pb zircon age constraint on the oldest-recorded air-breathing land animal . PLOS ONE . en . 12 . 6 . e0179262 . 10.1371/journal.pone.0179262 . 1932-6203 . 5489152 . 28658320 . 2017PLoSO..1279262S . free .
9. Hannibal. Joseph T.. Krzeminski, Wieslaw. A palaeosomatid millipede (Archipolypoda: palaeosomatida) from the Carboniferous (Namurian A) of Silesia, Poland. Polskie Pismo Entomologiczne. 2005. 74. 3. 205–217.