Arachnomorpha

Arachnomorpha
Temporal range: Cambrian - Recent
Fossil of Bellacartwrightia calliteles, a trilobite
Lychas variatus, a scorpion chelicerate
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Clade: Arachnomorpha
Lameere, 1890
Subgroups
Synonyms
  • Arachnata Paulus, 1979
  • Palaeopoda Packard, 1903

Arachnomorpha is a proposed subdivision or clade of Arthropoda, comprising the group formed by the trilobites and their close relatives (Artiopoda), Megacheira (which may be paraphyletic) and chelicerates. Under this proposed classification scheme, Arachnomorpha is considered the sister group to Mandibulata (including insects, crustaceans and myriapods).[1]

The arachnomorph concept has been challenged by suggestions that the artiopods are more closely related to mandibulates, forming the clade Antennulata instead.[2][1]

There is no consensus as to assigning Arachnomorpha a formal Linnean rank.

  1. ^ a b Aria, Cédric (2022-04-26). "The origin and early evolution of arthropods". Biological Reviews. 97 (5): 1786–1809. doi:10.1111/brv.12864. ISSN 1464-7931. PMID 35475316. S2CID 243269510.
  2. ^ Gerhard Scholtz & Gregory Edgecombe (2005). "Heads, Hox and the phylogenetic position of trilobites". Crustacea and Arthropod Relationships. CRC Press. pp. 139–165. CiteSeerX 10.1.1.130.2585.