Article
Article
Paleocopa
Article By:
Kaesler, Roger L. Department of Geology, University of Kansas, Lawrence, Kansas.
Last reviewed:January 2020
DOI:https://doi.org/10.1036/1097-8542.483600
An extinct order of the crustacean class Ostracoda. The order Paleocopa, also called Palaeocopida, is divided into nine superfamilies, one of which, Barychilinacea, is only tentatively assigned to the order. A principal feature of the species in the order is their long, straight hinge that extends along the dorsal margin of the carapace and joins the two valves together (see illustration). As is true of most benthic ostracodes, the paleocopes lack a frontal opening through which to extend their walking legs. Unlike modern ostracodes, however, they have no calcified inner lamella, and their muscle-scar patterns, which are quite useful in the taxonomy of many other groups of ostracodes, are very poorly known. See also: Ostracoda
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