Saperion
Extinct genus of arthropod
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Saperion is an extinct genus of trilobite-like arthropod. It lived during the late Atdabanian stage,[1] which lasted from 521 to 514 million years ago during the early part of the Cambrian Period. It was found in the Maotianshan Shales of Yunnan, China.[2] Similar to the closely related Skioldia and Tegopelte, the head shield and trunk tergites were fused into a single plate. There are about 19 furrows indicating the original trunk segments. a small anterior sclerite articulated to the front of its head.[3] A pair of antennae and lateral eyes located ventrally behind the anterior sclerite, lateral to the hypostome.[4] Saperion reached 151 mm in length and had nearly 25 pairs of biramous limbs for walking.[5]
| Saperion Temporal range: | |
|---|---|
| |
| Fossil of Saperion glumaceum in Yuxi Museum | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Clade: | †Artiopoda |
| Subclass: | †Conciliterga |
| Order: | †Helmetiida |
| Family: | †Tegopeltidae |
| Genus: | †Saperion Hou, Ramsköld & Bergström, 1991 |
| Type species | |
| Saperion glumaceum Hou, Ramsköld & Bergström, 1991 | |
