Kerygmachelidae

Kerygmachelidae; Temporal range: Lower to Middle Cambrian, 520–505 Ma PreꞒ Ꞓ O S D C P T J K Pg N
	Restoration of Kerygmachela kierkegaardi
	Restoration of Mobulavermis adustus
Scientific classification
Domain:	Eukaryota
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Arthropoda
Stem group:	†Dinocaridida
Family:	†Kerygmachelidae; McCall, 2023
Genera
	†Kerygmachela; †Utahnax; †Mobulavermis;

Kerygmachelidae is a family of gilled lobopodians (stem-arthropods with flapping trunk appendages and radial mouths) from the Cambrian period. Currently three genera are included in the family: Kerygmachela from the lower Cambrian of Greenland, Utahnax from the middle Cambrian of Utah, and Mobulavermis from the lower-middle Cambrian of Nevada. These animals are characterized by well developed frontal appendages similar to other dinocaridids like the radiodonts, except the ones present in these genera are horizontal to one another, and do not curve downward. These animals were most likely nektonic predators, using their large trunk flaps to swim in the water column, and using their frontal appendages to grab small-sized prey. Unlike other groups referred to as Lobopodians, this family lacks the distinctive legs (lobopods) that are usually seen in Lobopodian groups.^[1]^[2]^[3]

References

^ Budd, Graham E. (1993), "A Cambrian gilled lobopod from Greenland", Nature, 364 (6439): 709–711, doi:10.1038/364709a0, S2CID 4341971
^ Park, Tae-Yoon S.; Kihm, Ji-Hoon; Woo, Jusun; Park, Changkun; Lee, Won Young; Smith, M. Paul; Harper, David A. T.; Young, Fletcher; Nielsen, Arne T.; Vinther, Jakob (2018-03-09). "Brain and eyes of Kerygmachela reveal protocerebral ancestry of the panarthropod head". Nature Communications. 9 (1): 1019. doi:10.1038/s41467-018-03464-w. ISSN 2041-1723. PMC 5844904. PMID 29523785.
^ McCall, C. R. A. (2023). "A large pelagic lobopodian from the Cambrian Pioche Shale of Nevada". Journal of Paleontology: 1–16. doi:10.1017/jpa.2023.63.

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[Budd1993-1] Budd, Graham E. (1993), "A Cambrian gilled lobopod from Greenland", Nature, 364 (6439): 709–711, doi:10.1038/364709a0, S2CID 4341971

[:0-2] Park, Tae-Yoon S.; Kihm, Ji-Hoon; Woo, Jusun; Park, Changkun; Lee, Won Young; Smith, M. Paul; Harper, David A. T.; Young, Fletcher; Nielsen, Arne T.; Vinther, Jakob (2018-03-09). "Brain and eyes of Kerygmachela reveal protocerebral ancestry of the panarthropod head". Nature Communications. 9 (1): 1019. doi:10.1038/s41467-018-03464-w. ISSN 2041-1723. PMC 5844904. PMID 29523785.

[3] McCall, C. R. A. (2023). "A large pelagic lobopodian from the Cambrian Pioche Shale of Nevada". Journal of Paleontology: 1–16. doi:10.1017/jpa.2023.63.

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