Phylum Arthropoda Arthropods are bilateral animals with segmented exoskeletons. Segmentation of the exoskeleton occurs through a process known as sclerotization, whereby the cuticle thickens and hardens differentially throughout development. Arthropod segments are specialized to some extent, usually with paired appendages that have been modified to perform a specific task. Groups of similarly-specialized segments formed functional groups known as tagmata. (Robison and Kaesler, 1987) It has been argued that Arthropoda is polyphyletic, meaning that several distinct lineages evolved arthropod …show more content…
The selected specimens in this report were retrieved from the GB3D Type Fossils database by searching for [Taxon] and [3D Scans = True]. These results were refined through successive decrements in stratigraphic range until ten specimens of a single order and/or genera were returned. I downloaded a photograph or .ply file from GB3D in order to further investigate and illustrate the characteristics of each specimen. Collection localities for specimens of each respective group were plotted using Google