1. Convergences Between Late Paleozoic and Modern Cardidoid Malacostraca
- Author
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Frederick R. Schram
- Subjects
Hoplocarida ,Eucarida ,Phyllocarida ,Zoology ,Peracarida ,Biology ,biology.organism_classification ,Paleontology ,Mantis shrimp ,Eumalacostraca ,Malacostraca ,Genetics ,Body region ,Ecology, Evolution, Behavior and Systematics - Abstract
Schram, F. R. (Dept. of Zool., Eastern Ill. U., Charleston, lll. 61920) 1974. Convergences between Late Paleozoic and modern caridoid Malacostraca. Syst. Zool. 23:323-332.-Study of the Middle Pennsylvanian, Mazon Creek, Essex fauna Crustacea (Johnson and Richardson, 1966; and Richardson and Johnson, 1971) of northeastern Illinois has prompted an examination of the entire Late Paleozoic radiation of caridoid malacostracans. Members of this radiation bear several gross anatomical similarities to Mesozoic-Cenozoic eucarid forms, yet are totally and completely distinct taxonomically from them. This convergent phenomenon affords a rare look at the evolution of a major taxonomic category extending over a period of some 300 million years. The comparison also bears on general theoretical considerations of diversity and convergence in evolutionary theory. [Convergence; Malacostraca; Diversity models.] The malacostracan crustaceans have been present in the fossil record since Cambrian time. The earliest and more primitive forms have been the Phyllocarida, forms with seven segments in their abdomens. In Devonian time a more advanced array of malacostracans apparently evolved from the phyllocarids. These forms, the Hoplocarida and the Eumalacostraca, are characterized by having six segments in the abdomen and a great variety of tagmatic and appendicular specializations that enabled them to more effectively dominate their environments. The Late Paleozoic radiation of advanced malacostracans was composed of hoplocaridans, syncaridans, and primitive eumalacostracans variously termed Eocarida (Brooks, 1962), caridoids, or schizopods. The Hoplocarida almost completely died out at the close of the Paleozoic except for the specialized Stomatopoda or "mantis shrimp." The caridoids persisted and formed the basis of the modern malacostracan radiation. The caridoids are all characterized by an array of features first elucidated by Calman (1909): two flagella on the first antenna, two segments in the thoracic protopod, five segments in the thoracic endopod, annulate and natatory thoracic exopods, thoracic epipodite gills, thorax and abdomien subequal, thorax containing viscera and covered by a carapace, abdomen developed with a special musculature for the distinctive backward-swimming caridoid escape reaction. These primitive caridoids gave rise to the groups which are the dominant malacostracans today, the Eucarida and Peracarida. The Peracarids have developed a brooding habit for protecting the young, and morphologically have a tendency to lose the carapace and greatly modify the body regions so as to diverge markedly from the caridoid morphotype. The evolution of the peracarids proper must remain the subject of another paper. The Eucarida have more closely retained the caridoid facies and are the dominant caridoid types today. The only living peracarids that can be termed "caridoid" are the Mysidacea. PERIPATETIC TAXONOMY The taxonomic affiliations of the Late Paleozoic caridoid malacostracans have been realigned several times. Huxley (1857) termed Pygocephalus cooperi an early form of decapod (Brooks, 1969, has since assigned this species to the genus Crangopsis). Huxley's designation influenced subsequent workers to categorize their fossil species as "macrurous decapods" as in Etheridge's (1877) description of some specimens of Anthrapalaemon and Wood
- Published
- 1974
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