Phreatoicidea

Phreatoicidea is a suborder of isopod crustaceans. Extant species are confined to freshwater environments in South Africa, India, and Oceania.[2] This seemingly Gondwana-derived distribution belies the fact that the group once had a cosmopolitan distribution; fossils which can be assigned to the Phreatoicidea are the oldest isopod fossils, and are found throughout the world.[3][4] In the intervening 325 million years, phreatoicideans have changed little, and are thus considered living fossils.[5]

Phreatoicidea
Temporal range: Permian–Present
Eophreatoicus, a freshwater isopod from Kakadu National Park, Australia
Scientific classification
Kingdom:
Animalia
Phylum:
Arthropoda
Subphylum:
Crustacea
Class:
Malacostraca
Order:
Isopoda
Suborder:
Phreatoicidea

Stebbing, 1893 [1]
Families
  • Amphisopodidae
  • Hypsimetopodidae
  • Mesamphisopidae
  • Palaeophreatoicidae†
  • Phreatoicidae
  • Ponderellidae

The first Australian phreatoicidean was described by Charles Chilton in 1891.[5] Two families are represented in Australia: Amphisopodidae in the interior of Australia, and in the west, and Phreatoicidae in New South Wales, Victoria and Tasmania.[6]

See also

References
  1. "Phreatoicidea". Integrated Taxonomic Information System.
  2. J. K. Lowry. "Phreatoicidea (Isopoda, Peracarida, Malacostraca)". Crustacea: The Higher Taxa. Australian Museum. Retrieved February 20, 2009.
  3. Richard Brusca (August 6, 1997). "Isopoda". Tree of Life Web Project.
  4. Frederick R. Schram (1970). "Isopod from the Pennsylvanian of Illinois". Science. 169 (3948): 854–855. doi:10.1126/science.169.3948.854. PMID 5432581.
  5. Buz Wilson. "About phreatoicidean isopods in Australia". University of Sydney. Archived from the original on September 8, 2008. Retrieved February 20, 2009.
  6. Buz Wilson. "Localities of Australian Phreatoicidea". University of Sydney. Archived from the original on October 8, 2008. Retrieved February 20, 2009.
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