''Kiaeria'' is a
genus
Genus ( plural genera ) is a taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms as well as viruses. In the hierarchy of biological classification, genus comes above species and below family. In binomial nom ...
of
chasmataspidid
Chasmataspidids, sometime referred to as chasmataspids, are a group of extinct chelicerate arthropods that form the order Chasmataspidida. Chasmataspidids are probably related to horseshoe crabs ( Xiphosura) and/or sea scorpions ( Eurypterida), wi ...
, a group of
extinct aquatic
arthropod
Arthropods (, (gen. ποδός)) are invertebrate animals with an exoskeleton, a segmented body, and paired jointed appendages. Arthropods form the phylum Arthropoda. They are distinguished by their jointed limbs and cuticle made of chiti ...
s. It was originally classified as a
xiphosuran
Xiphosura () is an order of arthropods related to arachnids. They are more commonly known as horseshoe crabs (a name applied more specifically to the only extant family, Limulidae). They first appeared in the Hirnantian (Late Ordovician). Current ...
of the monotypic family
Kiaeriidae. However, in 2019, the British geologist and
paleobiologist James C. Lamsdell assigned the genus to the
order Chasmataspidida, possibly being a member of the
family
Family (from la, familia) is a group of people related either by consanguinity (by recognized birth) or affinity (by marriage or other relationship). The purpose of the family is to maintain the well-being of its members and of society. Idea ...
Chasmataspididae
''Chasmataspis'' is a genus of chasmataspidid, a group of extinct aquatic chelicerate arthropods. It was found in the Early Ordovician deposits of Tennessee, USA.
Morphology
Just like other chasmataspidids, the body of ''Chasmataspis'' comp ...
. Only one
species
In biology, a species is the basic unit of classification and a taxonomic rank of an organism, as well as a unit of biodiversity. A species is often defined as the largest group of organisms in which any two individuals of the appropriate s ...
has been assigned to this genus, ''K. limuloides''.
References
Prehistoric chelicerates
Chasmataspidida
{{Paleo-arthropod-stub