| Sialomorpha | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Artist's restoration | |
Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Clade: | Panarthropoda |
| (unranked): | incertae sedis |
| Family: | †Sialomorphidae Poinar & Nelson, 2019 |
| Genus: | †Sialomorpha Poinar & Nelson, 2019 |
| Species: | †S. dominicana |
| Binomial name | |
| †Sialomorpha dominicana Poinar & Nelson, 2019 | |
Sialomorpha dominicana, also known as themold pig, is apanarthropod genus of uncertain affinities discovered in 30-million year oldDominican amber byGeorge Poinar atOregon State University and Diane R. Nelson atEast Tennessee University.[1][2] It was placed in a new genus and family (Sialomorphidae) unto itself, and appears to represent a new phylum.S. dominicana shares some resemblance totardigrades andmites.[3] It is about 100 μm long and grew by molting its exoskeleton.[4] It was probably an omnivore, feeding on minute invertebrates and fungi, including mold.[1]