Anomalocaris

E779332

Anomalocaris was a large, predatory marine arthropod-like creature from the Cambrian period, notable for its grasping frontal appendages and circular, toothed mouth.

All labels observed (2)

Label Occurrences
Anomalocaris canonical 4
Anomalocaris canadensis 1

How this entity was disambiguated

Statements (47)

Predicate Object
instanceOf extinct genus ⓘ
radiodont ⓘ
species ⓘ
stem-group arthropod ⓘ
approximateAgeInMillionsOfYearsAgo about 521–485 Ma ⓘ
bodyLength up to about 1 meter ⓘ
bodyPlan elongate segmented body with lateral lobes ⓘ
clade Radiodonta ⓘ
describedBy Charles Doolittle Walcott ⓘ
diet carnivorous ⓘ
ecologicalRole apex predator ⓘ
feedingMechanism grasping prey with frontal appendages ⓘ
processing prey with circular mouth ⓘ
firstAppearance Early Cambrian ⓘ
fossilPreservation Lagerstätte deposits such as Burgess Shale ⓘ
fossilRange Cambrian ⓘ
linked to: Cambrian Period
fossilsFoundIn Burgess Shale, Canada ⓘ
Chengjiang biota, China ⓘ
linked to: Chengjiang biota

Emu Bay Shale, Australia ⓘ
linked to: Emu Bay Shale
geologicalTimeScaleUnit Cambrian Series 2 to Furongian (approximate) ⓘ
Paleozoic era ⓘ
linked to: Paleozoic Era
habitat marine ⓘ
kingdom Animalia ⓘ
lastAppearance Late Cambrian ⓘ
livedDuring Cambrian period ⓘ
linked to: Cambrian Period
locomotion swimming using lateral lobes ⓘ
nameMeaning "abnormal shrimp" ⓘ
notableFeature circular toothed mouth (oral cone) ⓘ
large grasping frontal appendages ⓘ
large lateral swimming lobes ⓘ
paired compound eyes ⓘ
originalMisinterpretation thought to be separate animals (frontal appendages, mouth, body) from different species ⓘ
paleoenvironment Cambrian shallow marine ecosystems ⓘ
parentTaxon Anomalocaris ⓘ
phylum Arthropoda (sensu lato) ⓘ
linked to: Arthropoda
possiblePrey trilobites (debated) ⓘ
reconstructionHistory body parts later recognized as belonging to a single animal ⓘ
relatedTo Hurdia ⓘ
Peytoia ⓘ
researchTopic functional morphology of frontal appendages and mouth ⓘ
scientificSignificance important for understanding early arthropod evolution ⓘ
status extinct ⓘ
tailFeature tail fan used for maneuvering ⓘ
taxonRank genus ⓘ
trophicLevel predator of soft-bodied animals ⓘ
typeSpecies Anomalocaris canadensis ⓘ
linked to: Anomalocaris
yearDescribed 1892 ⓘ

How these facts were elicited

Referenced by (5)

Full triples — surface form annotated when it differs from this entity's canonical label.

Cambrian biota → includesTaxon → Anomalocaris ⓘ
Burgess Shale → containsFossilsOf → Anomalocaris ⓘ
Anomalocaris → typeSpecies → Anomalocaris canadensis ⓘ
linked to: Anomalocaris
Anomalocaris canadensis → parentTaxon → Anomalocaris ⓘ
subject linked to: Anomalocaris
Pikaia → coexistsWith → Anomalocaris ⓘ