Pneumodesmus

Pneumodesmus

Pneumodesmus
Temporal range: Wenlock
Reconstruction of Pneumodesmus newmani
Scientific classification
Kingdom:
Animalia
Phylum:
Arthropoda
Subphylum:
Myriapoda
Class:
Diplopoda
Subclass:
†Archipolypoda
Order:
Incertae sedis
Family:
Incertae sedis
Genus:
Pneumodesmus
Species:
P. newmani
Binomial name
Pneumodesmus newmani
Wilson & Anderson, 2004 [1]
Photomicrograph of the type specimen

Pneumodesmus newmani is a species of millipede that lived during the late Wenlock epoch of the Silurian period around 428 million years ago.[1][2][3]

It is the first myriapod fossil, and the oldest known creature to have lived on land.[4] The single specimen was discovered in 2004 near Stonehaven, Aberdeenshire.[2]

Discovery and naming

The fossil of P. newmani was found by Mike Newman. He is a bus driver and amateur palaeontologist from Aberdeen. The fossil was in a layer of sandstone rocks on the foreshore of Cowie, near Stonehaven.[5] The species was later called "newmani" in honour of its finder. The fossil is kept in National Museum of Scotland, Edinburgh.[6]

Description

In the photograph above, you can see the back is covered with hard plates, and wispy slender legs. The animal is definitely segmented, and it is like, or related to, millipedes.[1]

Its cuticle has what look like openings or spiracles. These are part of a gas exchange system that would work in air. So P. newmani is thought to be the earliest documented arthropod with a tracheal system, and the first known oxygen-breathing animal on land.[4]

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 Heather M. Wilson & Lyall I. Anderson (2004). "Morphology and taxonomy of Paleozoic millipedes (Diplopoda: Chilognatha: Archipolypoda) from Scotland". Journal of Paleontology. 78 (1): 169–184. Bibcode:2004JPal...78..169W. doi:10.1666/0022-3360(2004)078<0169:MATOPM>2.0.CO;2. S2CID 131201588.
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 "Fossil find 'oldest land animal'". BBC News. 2004.
  3. ↑ Wellman, C.H.; Lopes, G.; McKellar, Z.; Hartley, A. (2023). "Age of the basal 'Lower Old Red Sandstone' Stonehaven Group of Scotland: The oldest reported air-breathing land animal is Silurian (late Wenlock) in age". Journal of the Geological Society. 181 jgs2023-138. The Geological Society of London. doi:10.1144/jgs2023-138. ISSN 0016-7649.
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 "Fossil millipede found to be oldest land creature". CNN (from Reuters). 2004. Archived from the original on 2016-03-04. Retrieved 2019-01-13.
  5. ↑ "Pneumodesmus newmani Exhibition". Stonehaven Guide. Archived from the original on 2016-12-24. Retrieved 2019-01-13.
  6. ↑ Selden, Paul & Read, Helen (2008). "The oldest land animals: Silurian millipedes from Scotland" (PDF). Bulletin of the British Myriapod & Isopod Group. 23: 36–37.{{cite journal}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)

Content Disclaimer

Informasi ini disarikan dari Wikipedia dan disajikan kembali untuk tujuan edukasi. Konten tersedia di bawah lisensi CC BY-SA 3.0. Kami tidak bertanggung jawab atas ketidakakuratan data yang bersumber dari kontribusi publik tersebut.

  1. The information displayed on this website is sourced in part or in whole from Wikipedia and has been adapted for the purpose of restating it. We strive to provide accurate and relevant information, however:
  2. There is no guarantee of absolute accuracy. Wikipedia is an open, collaborative project that can be edited by anyone, so information is subject to change.
  3. It is not intended to constitute professional advice. The content displayed is for informational and educational purposes only. For important decisions (e.g., medical, legal, or financial), please consult a professional.
  4. Content copyright. Wikipedia is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License (CC BY-SA). This means that content may be reused with appropriate attribution and shared under a similar license.
  5. Responsible use. Any risk arising from the use of information from this website is entirely the responsibility of the user.