Palaeosoma

Palaeosoma Temporal range: Westphalian–Namurian PreЄ Є O S D C P T J K Pg N ↓
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Arthropoda
Subphylum:	Myriapoda
Class:	Diplopoda
Superorder:	†Archipolypoda
Order:	†Palaeosomatida Hannibal & Krzeminski, 2005
Family:	†Palaeosomatidae
Genus:	†Palaeosoma Jackson et al. 1919.
Type species
Palaeosoma giganteum (Baldwin, 1919)
species
P. giganteum P. robustum

Palaeosoma is an extinct genus of archipolypodan millipedes from the upper Carboniferous of England and Poland. Individuals grew to nearly 20 cm (7.9 in) long and possessed defensive glands (ozopores) located on small raised nodes on the outer edges of the upper surface of each body segment. Species of Palaeosoma were once considered members of the family Euphoberiidae, which contains species with prominent spines, but are now classified in their own family (Paleosomatidae) and own order (Palaeosomatida), as they lack spines and have other a combination of features not seen in other Paleozoic millipedes.^[1][2][3][4]

References

1. Jackson, J. W.; H. K. Brade-Birks, and S. G. Brade-Birks (1919). "Notes on Myriopoda. XIX. A revision of some fossil material from Sparth Bottoms, Lancs.". Geological Magazine Decade VI 6: 406–411.
2. Hannibal, J. (2005) A new occurrence of the millipede Palaeosoma (Archipolypoda) in the Carboniferous of Silesia, Poland, and its implications for the distribution of millipede genera in the tropics of Euroamerica during the Pennsylvanian. Geological Society of America Abstracts with Programs.
3. Hannibal, Joseph T.; Krzeminski, Wieslaw (2005). "A palaeosomatid millipede (Archipolypoda: palaeosomatida) from the Carboniferous (Namurian A) of Silesia, Poland". Polskie Pismo Entomologiczne 74 (3): 205–217.
4. Shear, William A.; Edgecombe, Gregory D. (2010). "The geological record and phylogeny of the Myriapoda". Arthropod Structure & Development 39 (2-3): 174–190. doi:10.1016/j.asd.2009.11.002. PMID 19944188.