Arthropleura

Not to be confused with Anthopleura.

Arthropleura
Temporal range: Early Viséan-Sakmarian, 346–290 Ma [1]
Fossil of A. armata at the Senckenberg Museum of Frankfurt
Juvenile specimen
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Subphylum: Myriapoda
Class: Diplopoda
Subclass: †Arthropleuridea
Order: †Arthropleurida
Waterlot, 1933
Family: †Arthropleuridae
Zittel, 1885
Genus: †Arthropleura
Meyer, 1854
Species[2]
  • A. armata Meyer, 1854
  • A. cristata Richardson, 1959
  • A. fayoli Boule, 1893
  • A. maillieuxi Pruvost, 1930
  • A. mammata Salter, 1863
Synonyms
  • A. affinis Goldenberg, 1873
  • A. britannica Andrée, 1910
  • A. moyseyi Calman, 1914
  • A. zeilleri Boule, 1893

Arthropleura (Greek for 'jointed ribs') is a genus of massive millipedes that lived in what is now North America and Europe around 345 to 290 million years ago,[2][3] from the Viséan stage of the lower Carboniferous Period to the Sakmarian stage of the lower Permian Period.[2][4] The species of the genus are the largest known land invertebrates of all time, and would have had few, if any, predators.

  1. ^ Cite error: The named reference complete was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  2. ^ a b c Cite error: The named reference :0 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  3. ^ "Largest-ever millipede fossil found on Northumberland beach". BBC News. 21 December 2021. Retrieved 21 December 2021.
  4. ^ Martino, Ronald L.; Greb, Stephen F. (2009). "Walking trails of the giant terrestrial arthropod Arthropleura from the Upper Carboniferous of Kentucky". Journal of Paleontology. 83 (1): 140–146. Bibcode:2009JPal...83..140M. doi:10.1666/08-093R.1.Archived 2019-12-23 at the Wayback Machine.