Synophalos is an extinct genus of bivalved arthropod. The genus contains a single species, Synophalos xynos, found in the Cambrian Stage 3-aged Chengjiang biota of Yunnan, China. The body has approximately 6 (possibly 7) abdominal segments, which terminate in a forked unsegmented tail. It is noted for having been found in unusual chain-like associations where up to 20 individuals were connected via the insertion of the tail into the head carapace of the preceding individual. While no other creatures link themselves to each other as Synophalos does, other animals do form lines for a variety of purposes, such as the migratory queues of the Spiny lobster. There is not a definite purpose Synophalos' chains however they could have been for reproduction, migration or protection. The authours of the describing paper considered migration the most likely candidate. In 2009, Hou et al. tentatively referred Synophalos to Waptiidae.[1]
| Synophalos Temporal range:
| |
|---|---|
| |
| |
| Restoration of an individual (top) and chain-like association of many individuals (bottom) | |
Scientific classification 
| |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Order: | †Hymenocarina |
| Family: | †Waptiidae |
| Genus: | †Synophalos Hou, et al. 2009 |
| Species: | †S. xynos
|
| Binomial name | |
| †Synophalos xynos Hou, et al. 2009
| |
Etymology
editSynophalos comes from ancient Greek Synodia meaning "company of travellers" and Hyphalos meaning "under the sea" or "submerged." Together it roughly translates to "those who travel together under the sea"
References
edit- ^ Hou, Xian-Guang; Siveter, Derek J.; Aldridge, Richard J.; Siveter, David J. (2009-07-16). "A new arthropod in chain-like associations from the Chengjiang Lagerstätte (Lower Cambrian), Yunnan, China". Palaeontology. 52 (4): 951–961. doi:10.1111/j.1475-4983.2009.00889.x. S2CID 84814474.