Dicranocaris

Dicranocaris measured up to 10 cm in body length. The dorsal exoskeleton (tergite) comprise of a semicircular cephalic (head) shield followed by a 12-segmented trunk. At least the second to fifth trunk segments possess tergopleurae (lateral extension of trunk tergite) and the last 3 segments are tube-like. A narrow telson (tail) expand and bifurcate distally.^[1][6]

Cephalic and trunk appendages are evident in some fossil materials, especially the laterally-preserved specimens. However, details are obscured by their poor preservation,^[1] and the identification of those lateral specimens as D. guntherorum is considered questionable as well.^[6]

The taxonomic affinity of Dicranocaris is uncertain. Initially it was identified as an arachnomorph,^[1][2] later a possible megacheiran.^[5][7][8] A material once though to be Dicranocaris was later described as Dytikosicula in 2015,^[8] but this might be synonymous with Dicranocaris after all.^[9] In 2020, another putative Dicranocaris specimen was later identified as Messorocaris.^[6] Recent studies suggest Dicranocaris is more closely related to Messorocaris and both are tentatively grouped under Habeliida (stem-group chelicerates).^[6][10]