Misszhouia
Encyclopedia
Misszhouia longicaudata is a species
of blind, trilobite
-like arthropod
from the Cambrian
period. In 1984 a well-preserved fossil of Misszhouia was discovered in the Maotianshan Shale; this discovery brought the shale to scientific attention.
M. longicaudata was formerly considered a member of the genus
Naraoia
, originally known as "Naraoia longicaudata," until separated in 1997.
Species
In biology, a species is one of the basic units of biological classification and a taxonomic rank. A species is often defined as a group of organisms capable of interbreeding and producing fertile offspring. While in many cases this definition is adequate, more precise or differing measures are...
of blind, trilobite
Trilobite
Trilobites are a well-known fossil group of extinct marine arthropods that form the class Trilobita. The first appearance of trilobites in the fossil record defines the base of the Atdabanian stage of the Early Cambrian period , and they flourished throughout the lower Paleozoic era before...
-like arthropod
Arthropod
An arthropod is an invertebrate animal having an exoskeleton , a segmented body, and jointed appendages. Arthropods are members of the phylum Arthropoda , and include the insects, arachnids, crustaceans, and others...
from the Cambrian
Cambrian
The Cambrian is the first geological period of the Paleozoic Era, lasting from Mya ; it is succeeded by the Ordovician. Its subdivisions, and indeed its base, are somewhat in flux. The period was established by Adam Sedgwick, who named it after Cambria, the Latin name for Wales, where Britain's...
period. In 1984 a well-preserved fossil of Misszhouia was discovered in the Maotianshan Shale; this discovery brought the shale to scientific attention.
M. longicaudata was formerly considered a member of the genus
Genus
In biology, a genus is a low-level taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms, which is an example of definition by genus and differentia...
Naraoia
Naraoia
Naraoia is a genus of trilobites found in Cambrian strata of the Burgess Shale and the Maotianshan shales Lagerstätte. They were flattened, oval-shaped animals, with an uncalcified shield that was divided into two regions, a smaller region covering the head, and a larger section covering the...
, originally known as "Naraoia longicaudata," until separated in 1997.