Multiplacophora is a stem-group of

chiton Chitons () are marine molluscs of varying size in the class Polyplacophora (), formerly known as Amphineura. About 940 extant and 430 fossil species are recognized. They are also sometimes known as gumboots or sea cradles or coat-of-mail s ...

s with a number of plates arranged in 7 rows along the body. They date to at least the

Upper Cambrian The Furongian is the fourth and final epoch and series of the Cambrian. It lasted from to million years ago. It succeeds the Miaolingian series of the Cambrian and precedes the Lower Ordovician Tremadocian Stage. It is subdivided into three ...

, but two lower

Cambrian The Cambrian Period ( ; sometimes symbolized C with bar, Ꞓ) was the first geological period of the Paleozoic Era, and of the Phanerozoic Eon. The Cambrian lasted 53.4 million years from the end of the preceding Ediacaran Period 538.8 million ...

fossils- ''

Ocruranus The halkieriids are a group of fossil organisms from the Lower to Middle Cambrian. Their eponymous genus is ''Halkieria'' , which has been found on almost every continent in Lower to Mid Cambrian deposits, forming a large component of the smal ...

'' and '' Trachyplax'' - may extend the range downwards.

Families and genera

* Family Hercolepadidae Dzik, 1986 ** Genus '' Hercolepas'' Aurivillius, 1892 ** Genus ''

Protobalanus The genus ''Quercus'' contains about 500 species, some of which are listed here. The genus, as is the case with many large genera, is divided into subgenera and sections. Traditionally, the genus ''Quercus'' was divided into the two subgenera ''C ...

'' Hall and Clarke, 1888 * Family Strobilepidae Hoare and Mapes, 1995 ** Genus '' Aenigmatectus'' Hoare and Mapes, 1996 ** Genus '' Deltaplax'' Puchalski, Johnson, Kauffman and Eernisse, 2009 ** Genus '' Diadeloplax'' Hoare and Mapes, 1995 ** Genus '' Hannestheronia'' Vinther, Jell, Kampouris, Carney, Racicot & Briggs, 2012 ** Genus ''

Polysacos ''Polysacos'' is an extinct genus of multiplacophorans (chitons) known from articulated Carboniferous fossils; its seventeen shell plates are arranged in three rows, with seven iterated units. It demonstrates that multiplacophora are related to mo ...

'' Vendrasco, Wood and Runnegar, 2004 ** Genus ''

Strobilepis ''Strobilepis'' is an extinct genus of Devonian-Carboniferous Multiplacophoran bearing close similarity to ''Polysacos ''Polysacos'' is an extinct genus of multiplacophorans (chitons) known from articulated Carboniferous fossils; its seventeen ...

'' Clarke ''in'' Hall and Clarke, 1888

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q15076861 Devonian animals Late Devonian animals Chitons