| Archidesmus | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Archidesmus macnicoli fossil illustration, anterior end is towards the left. | |
Scientific classification | |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Subphylum: | Myriapoda |
| Class: | Diplopoda |
| Order: | †Archidesmida |
| Family: | †Archidesmidae Scudder, 1885 |
| Genus: | †Archidesmus Peach, 1882 |
| Type species | |
| Archidesmus macnicoli | |
| Species | |
| |
Archidesmus is an extinctmillipede genus from theLower DevonianOld Red Sandstone of theUnited Kingdom. It is the only member of the taxonomicfamilyArchidesmidae. Individuals were up to 5 cm (2.0 in) long, and had 60 to 80 body segments decorated with tubercles (bumps) on the upper surface, and most segments possessed wing-like keels (paranota) extending to the side. Thetype speciesArchidesmus macnicoli was described by British paleontologistBenjamin Peach in 1882.[1] A second species,A. loganensis was also described by Peach[2] but its status as a valid species- or even amyriapod- is debated.[3]
