Kwanyinaspis Temporal range:
| |
---|---|
Drawing of the part type of the holotype Note: Eyes were located in the underside and were not visible on the dorsal surface in life | |
Scientific classification | |
Domain: | Eukaryota |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Arthropoda |
(unranked): | †Artiopoda |
Subphylum: | †Trilobitomorpha |
Genus: | †Kwanyinaspis Zhang & Shu, 2005 |
Species: | †K. maotianshanensis
|
Binomial name | |
†Kwanyinaspis maotianshanensis Zhang & Shu, 2005
|
Kwanyinaspis is a genus of arthropod from the Cambrian aged Chengjiang biota of Yunnan, China. It was described in 2005 based on a single specimen, ELI-2004001. Around 6 cm long, It has twelve trunk tergites with well developed posterior facing pleural spines, along with a tail spine and ventral eyes. In the original description, it was tenatively considered a member of Aglaspidida.[1] However, later studies have considered it a trilobitomorph, and possibly the closest known relative of trilobites.[2]