Head segmentation in early cambrian fuxianhuia: implications for arthropod evolution.
The arthropod Fuxianhuia from the Chengjiang fauna displays primitive aspects of cephalic segmentation and trunk limb morphology that indicate a basal position within Euarthropoda. The cephalon consists of an eye-bearing sclerite that articulates with a head shield bearing antennules and subchelate appendages. Eye stalks, antennules, and subchelate appendages are proto-, deuto-, and tritocerebral limbs and organs, respectovely. The anterior position of the eye-bearing sclerite parallels the embryonic origin of arthropod eye lobes. The head of Fuxianhuia includes the acron and one somite and is regarded as a protocephalon. The definitive head of arthropods may have fused separate eye-bearing and appendage-bearing sclerites.
Chen
J Y
JY
Zhou
G Q
GQ
Edgecombe
G D
GD
Ramsköld
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