Megacheira facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Megacheira Temporal range: Cambrian Stage 3–Middle Cambrian PreЄ Є O S D C P T J K Pg N Possible Silurian and Devonian records
Leanchoilia (top), Yohoia (left), Haikoucaris (right) and Fortiforceps (bottom).
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Arthropoda
Class:	†Megacheira Hou and Bergström, 1997
Groups
†Tanglangia †Jianfengiidae Sklerolibyon Jianfengia Parapeytoia Fortiforceps †Kootenichelidae? Kootenichela? Worthenella? †Cheiromorpha Yohoiida Yohoiidae Yohoia Haikoucaris Leanchoiliida Actaeidae Actaeus Enaliktidae? Enalikter? Bundenbachiellus ? Leanchoiliidae Alalcomenaeus Leanchoilia Oestokerkus Yawunik Kanoshoia

Megacheira ("great hands") is an extinct class of predatory arthropods. They had a pair of short enlarged appendages at the front. They look like early chelicerates.

Most of them lived in marine environments round the world from the lower to middle Cambrian. It looks like they were quite common then. However, one perfectly preserved specimen of Enalikter was found in the Silurian of Herefordshire (England). Another species (Bundenbachiellus) was found in the early Devonian of Germany.

Images for kids

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  Reconstructions of members of Jianfengiidae, from top to bottom Fortiforceps, Sklerolibyon, and Jianfengia.

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  Life reconstruction of Yawunik kootenayi

See also

In Spanish: Megaqueiros para niños