© 1995 Kluwer Academic Publishers. Printed in Belgium. Archilaophonte maxima gen.n., spec.n., a new taxon of the Laophontidae

• Main Author: Elke Willen
• Other Authors: The Pennsylvania State University CiteSeerX Archives
• Format: Text
• Language: English
• Published: 1994
• Subjects: Antarctic; Weddell; Weddell Sea; Antarc*
• Online Access: http://citeseerx.ist.psu.edu/viewdoc/summary?doi=10.1.1.619.5587; http://www.luciopesce.net/pdf4/laopho.pdf

Male and female of a new genus and species of the family Laophontidae, Archilaophonte maxima, are described. The specimen was found in the high Antarctic (Weddell Sea) and appears to be the most primitive genus up to now within the superfamily Laophontoidea as defined by Huys (1990). Based on its setation of legs and mouth parts, however, it can be placed unequivocally into the family Laophontidae. Archilaophonte maxima gen. n. shows close affinities to the laophontid genus Esola Edwards, 1891. Both genera form a monophyletic group which is interpreted here as the first and most primitive offshoot in the evolution of the Laophontidae. The synapomorphies of the former lineage are the shape of the protopodite of the P1 and shape and setation of the female P5.