?
2005-04-23 18:00:59 UTC
oThe head, with no antennae and only one post-oral pair of appendages, is unique.
oThe trunk, enclosed by the large carapace for more than two-thirds of its length, contained up to 45 limb-bearing segments. The limbs, except perhaps for the first two pairs, are typically bigamous.
oThis animal bears a three-pronged tail, with two lateral flukes and one dorsal projection - a bizarre structure that evokes images of sharks or whales, rather than lobsters. Nothing similar exists in any other arthropod. Briggs argued that Odaraia swam on its back, using its three-pronged tail for stabilization and steering, and Its carapace as a filtering chamber for capturing food.
oBriggs had proven once again that he watchword for Burgess arthropods was "uniquely specialized," not "primitively simple."