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  • Brief Communications Arising
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Latest anomalocaridid affinities challenged

Nature volume 516, pages E1–E2 (2014)Cite this article

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Abstract

Arising from P. Cong, X. Ma, X. Hou, G. D. Edgecombe & N. J. Strausfeld Nature 513, 538–542 (2014); doi:10.1038/nature13486

Cong et al.1 report a new anomalocaridid species, Lyrarapax unguispinus, that bears a potential pair of pre-protocerebral ganglia associated with frontal appendages, thus challenging some previous assignments of these appendages to the second (deutocerebral) segment2,3. On the basis of putative similarities in brain anatomy to the extant onychophoran Euperipatoides rowelli, the authors go further by assigning homology between the anomalocaridid-like appendages and the arthropod labrum4. However, we demonstrate that their arguments are based on a misinterpretation of onychophoran neuroanatomy. Consequently, we believe that the proposed affinities of these appendages are incorrect and their homologues remain uncertain. There is a Reply to this Brief Communication Arising by Cong, P. et al. Nature 516, http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/nature13861 (2014).

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Figure 1: Head and brain anatomy in Euperipatoides rowelli, the same species studied by Cong et al.1.
Figure 2: Onychophoran brain anatomy.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. *Animal Evolution and Development, University of Leipzig, Talstraße 33, 04103 Leipzig, Germany,

    Georg Mayer, Christine Martin, Ivo de Sena Oliveira, Franziska Anni Franke & Vladimir Gross

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  1. Georg Mayer
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  5. Vladimir Gross
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All authors conceived the project, analysed the material and wrote the paper.

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Correspondence to Georg Mayer.

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Mayer, G., Martin, C., de Sena Oliveira, I. et al. Latest anomalocaridid affinities challenged. Nature 516, E1–E2 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1038/nature13860

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