Cambrian Explosion Dinocaridid Grasping Appendage from Utah
Possibly Anomalocaris

This grasping appendage was listed as “arthropod appendage” on the inventory sheet. To me, it looks to be from a creature with strong affinities to Anomalocaris despite the fact that it is smaller than many I have seen from Chengjiang. So I will hedge and just list it as belonging to a member of the Aonomalocarididae .The members of this group of enigmatic creatures are known from Asia, Australia, Europe, and North America, and are thought by many to be closely allied with the Arthropoda, as position not held by all researchers. The spiniferous grasping appendages are strongly suggestive of its carnivorous habits; some trilobites from Utah bear evidence of bite marks that have been attributed to Anaomalocaris. The genus derives its name from “anomalous shrimp” which was what the describer thought the appendage was. Whatever the precise taxonomic status, this is a most unusual and highly desirable specimen, made even more so by the fact that both the part and counterpart are present.