Bivalved Arthropods
As their name implies, bivalved arthropods have an exoskeleton composed of two valves which surround much of their body. Living bivalved arthropods, such as the small ostracods, are crustaceans, the group that today also includes crabs, shrimps, and lobsters.
It is thought that many of the fossil remains of bivalved arthropods found in the Cambrian of Utah also belonged to either extinct groups of crustaceans, or groups closely related to crustaceans.
At least 10 genera of bivalved crustaceans have been recorded from the Cambrian of Utah. Click on the images below to explore this diversity.
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