Typhloperipatus williamsoni
Encyclopedia
Typhloperipatus williamsoni is a species of onychophoran (or velvet worm) known from northeastern India. It is the only member of its genus and is the only South Asia
n species in the phylum
. It is said to be evolution
arily close to the Sumatra
n Eoperipatus
. It was discovered and described by Stanley Wells Kemp
in 1913.
who was murdered in 1911. The murder led to an expedition being led to the Abor region by the British government in India. Stanley Kemp, then an assistant superintendent at the Indian Museum
at Calcutta was a zoologist attached to this expedition. The first specimen was found near the gorge of the Dihang River near Rotung. Although the nearest other species from Malaya
was typically found in dead wood, these were found mainly under large stones near the roots of trees. Like other velvet worms they discharges a spray of viscous fluid that hardens to trap and arrest small predators and prey.
brown with the tips of the antennae slightly paler brown. The papillae on the skin have pale tips and the underside is pale brown. Some individuals have a dark dorsal stripe. It has 19 to 20 pairs of legs, the inner jaw has a serrate edge. The legs have coxal glands, four complete and spiny pads and the feet have two papillae.
Although Kemp believed that the species was closer to neotropical forms than to Southeast Asian forms, modern studies place them close to Eoperipatus
of Southeast Asia.
South Asia
South Asia, also known as Southern Asia, is the southern region of the Asian continent, which comprises the sub-Himalayan countries and, for some authorities , also includes the adjoining countries to the west and the east...
n species in the phylum
Phylum
In biology, a phylum The term was coined by Georges Cuvier from Greek φῦλον phylon, "race, stock," related to φυλή phyle, "tribe, clan." is a taxonomic rank below kingdom and above class. "Phylum" is equivalent to the botanical term division....
. It is said to be evolution
Evolution
Evolution is any change across successive generations in the heritable characteristics of biological populations. Evolutionary processes give rise to diversity at every level of biological organisation, including species, individual organisms and molecules such as DNA and proteins.Life on Earth...
arily close to the Sumatra
Sumatra
Sumatra is an island in western Indonesia, westernmost of the Sunda Islands. It is the largest island entirely in Indonesia , and the sixth largest island in the world at 473,481 km2 with a population of 50,365,538...
n Eoperipatus
Eoperipatus
Eoperipatus is a genus of invertebrate in the Peripatidae family.It contains the following species:* Eoperipatus horsti Evans, 1901* Eoperipatus sumatranus * Eoperipatus weldoni Evans, 1901...
. It was discovered and described by Stanley Wells Kemp
Stanley Wells Kemp
Stanley Wells Kemp, FRS was a British marine biologist.He was born in London, the second of three sons of Stephen Kemp, a professor at the Royal Academy and Royal School of Music. As a boy he took an interest in animals, collecting water beetles and maintaining them in aquariums and was a member...
in 1913.
Discovery
The species name was after Noel Williamson, a political officer at SadiyaSadiya
Sadiya is a small town in the Tinsukia district of the North-eastern Indian state of Assam. It stands on a grassy plain, nearly surrounded by forested Himalayan mountains, on the right bank of what is locally considered the main stream of the Brahmaputra river...
who was murdered in 1911. The murder led to an expedition being led to the Abor region by the British government in India. Stanley Kemp, then an assistant superintendent at the Indian Museum
Indian Museum
The Indian Museum is the largest museum in India and has rare collections of antiques, armour and ornaments, fossils, skeletons, mummies, and Mughal paintings...
at Calcutta was a zoologist attached to this expedition. The first specimen was found near the gorge of the Dihang River near Rotung. Although the nearest other species from Malaya
Malay Peninsula
The Malay Peninsula or Thai-Malay Peninsula is a peninsula in Southeast Asia. The land mass runs approximately north-south and, at its terminus, is the southern-most point of the Asian mainland...
was typically found in dead wood, these were found mainly under large stones near the roots of trees. Like other velvet worms they discharges a spray of viscous fluid that hardens to trap and arrest small predators and prey.
Description
These velvet worms have no eyes. The colour of the upperside is a deep umberUmber
Umber is a natural brown clay pigment which contains iron and manganese oxides. The color becomes more intense when calcined , and the resulting pigment is called burnt umber. Its name derives from the Latin word umbra and was originally extracted in Umbria, a mountainous region of central Italy,...
brown with the tips of the antennae slightly paler brown. The papillae on the skin have pale tips and the underside is pale brown. Some individuals have a dark dorsal stripe. It has 19 to 20 pairs of legs, the inner jaw has a serrate edge. The legs have coxal glands, four complete and spiny pads and the feet have two papillae.
Although Kemp believed that the species was closer to neotropical forms than to Southeast Asian forms, modern studies place them close to Eoperipatus
Eoperipatus
Eoperipatus is a genus of invertebrate in the Peripatidae family.It contains the following species:* Eoperipatus horsti Evans, 1901* Eoperipatus sumatranus * Eoperipatus weldoni Evans, 1901...
of Southeast Asia.