Leanchoilia
Extinct genus of arthropods
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Leanchoilia is a megacheiran marine arthropod known from Cambrian deposits of the Burgess Shale in Canada and the Chengjiang biota of China.[1]
Størmer, 1944
Raymond, 1935
| Leanchoilia Temporal range: | |
|---|---|
| |
| Leanchoilia superlata | |
 | |
| Reconstruction of Leanchoilia superlata | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Class: | †Megacheira |
| Order: | †Leanchoilida Størmer, 1944 |
| Family: | †Leanchoiliidae Raymond, 1935 |
| Genus: | †Leanchoilia Walcott, 1912 |
| Type species | |
| †Leanchoilia superlata Walcott, 1912 | |
| Other species | |
(but see text) | |
| Synonyms | |
|
Synonyms of Leanchoilia
Synonyms of L. superlata
Synonyms of L. illecebrosa
| |
Description
L. superlata was about 5 centimetres (2.0 in) long and had long, whip-like flagellae extending from its great appendages. Its internal organs are occasionally preserved within the substrate in three dimensions.[2][3] Their two pairs of eyes are protected and covered by their exterior head shields, with two eyes being located on each side.[4][5]
Species
Seven species are tentatively accepted today: L. superlata (the type species), L. persephone and L. protogonia from the Burgess Shale, L. illecebrosa and L. obesa from the Chengjiang biota, ''L. robisoni from Kaili, and L.? hanceyi from the Spence Shale. L. superlata and L. persephone may however be examples of sexual dimorphism.[6][7][8]
Distribution
55 specimens of Leanchoilia are known from the Greater Phyllopod bed, where they comprise 0.1% of the community.[9]
