Martinssonia
genus of crustacean-like euarthropod
Martinssonia is an extinct genus of Cambrian arthropod from the Orsten Lagerstätte.
Description
Martinssonia is a small (roughly 1.5 mm long) arthropod, with eight pairs of appendages and ten segments including the eyeless head. It has a pair of antennae, twelve biramous appendages on its head and front two body segments and a final pair of uniramous appendages on its third segment. Martinssonia also seems to have a pleotelson, similar to modern crustacean larvae.
Ecology
Martinssonia was presumably a benthic detritivore, stirring up food particles from the seafloor.
Etymology
Martinssonia is named for Anders Martinsson, a former Professor of Palaeobiology at Uppsala University in Sweden. The species name, elongata, is derived from its long trunk.
This brief starts where responsible research should: with the source description of “Martinssonia” as genus of crustacean-like euarthropod. Everything that follows is an evidence route, not borrowed authority.
Why this record matters
The subject matters to the science & nature register because the source frames it as genus of crustacean-like euarthropod. Its deeper value depends on whether names, dates, institutions and citations support that framing.
The date and method of observation matter as much as the stated conclusion, especially where classification or consensus has changed. The source revision retrieved here is dated Aug 1, 2025. The linked authority identifier is Q123561406. None of the 0 selected statements returned an explicit reference.
Current terminology should not be projected backward without checking the classification used when the underlying evidence was created. The lead is largely declarative, so disagreement and counter-evidence require a deliberate search beyond the opening account. Authority statements aid reconciliation but still require their own references, qualifiers and ranks to be checked.
How to read it
Check terminology, classification and the date of the cited evidence. Scientific names and technical consensus can change while older records retain historical value.
- Current terminology
- Classification context
- Finding cited technical literature
Primary datasets, specimen catalogues, standards bodies and the most recent peer-reviewed literature.
Three-step research path
- Establish the record: confirm the title “Martinssonia”, its source revision and the description used here.
- Expand the search: follow Martinssonia primary sources, Martinssonia archive and Martinssonia research across catalogues and specialist indexes.
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Questions for further research
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This entry incorporates text from “Martinssonia” on English Wikipedia. Contributors are listed in the page history. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Selected authority identifiers and statements are retrieved from Wikidata under CC0; their references and qualifiers remain part of the verification path.