Desmostraca

## Taxonomy

Anthostoma

Gastrozoa

Tentaclostoma

Neostoma

Lophostoma

Diplostoma

Stenostraca

**Desmostraca**

## Immediate subtaxa

Archaeodesmostraca

Eudesmostraca

**Desmostraca** (lit. "bundled shells") is a clade of omnivorous stenostracans.

## Description

Desmostracans first evolved from the old stenostracans at approximately 4187ma in response to the evolution of the first coleostracans.

The defining trait of desmostracans is their banded shell, which grants them greater protection without impeding their movement. The early desmostracans were generalist omnivores, using their pair of long antennae to search piles of leaf litter for anything edible, and using their many oral tentacles lined with rasping teeth to subsequently chew up anything they found and pass it into the mouth.

The first desmostracans were widely successful due to their relatively unique niche. However, this success was disrupted by the later evolution of the platydonts. Thanks to their more effective internal support structure and active breathing mechanism, the platydonts were able to quickly dominate the niches of adaptable opportunists, driving many old desmostracan species to extinction. The only known surviving members of the clade Desmostraca are the eudesmostracans, which are dedicated malacavores, and the notoformes, which descend from a group of desmostracans that rafted to Crescentia before the platydonts evolved.

## Navigation

* **Anthostoma**
	+ Archeanthostoma
	+ Gastrozoa
		- Eugastrozoa
		- Tentaclostoma
			* Lithostraca
				+ Eulithostraca
				+ Anostraca
			* Neostoma
				+ Myzostoma
					- *Pelonomus thomi*
				+ Lophostoma
					- Diplostoma
						* Placostraca
							+ Archaeoplacostraca†
							+ Euplacostraca
								- Euplacostracidae
									* Euplacostracine
									* Echinostracinae†
								- Xerostraca
						* Stenostraca
							+ Eustenostraca
								- **Desmostraca**
									* Archaeodesmostraca†
										+ Archedesmostracidae†
										+ Notoformes†
											- Archenotoformes†
											- Neonotoformes†
												* Thyreostraca†
												* Campylospondyli†
													+ *Erythrerpeton lequiori*†
									* Eudesmostraca
										+ Eudesmostracidae
											- Eudesmostracinae
											- Myxobolidae
										+ Dolichostraca
											- Pronocanthidae†
												* Eupronocanthidae†
												* Phylactocanthidae†
											- Eudolichostraca
												* Eudolichostracidae
												* Nothocanthidae†
							+ Coleostraca
								- Archaeocoleostraca†
								- Elastospondyli
									* Archelastospondyli
										+ Archelastospondylidae
										+ Kentrodontia
											- Eukentrodontia
												* Archekentrodontia
													+ Archekentrodontidae
													+ Neokentrodontia
														- Trypophora
														- Deinoglossidae
												* Phyllophora†
											- Aspidontia†
												* *Kremarapax mckinleyi*†
									* Opisthoptera
										+ *Eopteryx emmetti*
										+ Archeopisthoptera
											- Latoptera
												* Eulatoptera
												* Pipiodontia
													+ *Corvimimus corvusamousi*
													+ Archepipiodontia
													+ Pterolophidae
											- Picoptera
												* *Gyriphagus oelespi*
										+ Neopisthoptera†
											- Sphenoptera†
												* *Velocialatus alexani*†
											- Magnoptera†
												* Eumagnoptera†
													+ *Skotalatus rauli*†
												* Dyptopterida†
													+ *Tachynectes jocomoli*†
					- Malacoformes
						* Echinostoma
						* Eumalacoformes
							+ *unspecified*
								- Ctenognatha
									* Euctenognatha
									* Necroformes
								- *unspecified*
									* Barognatha
									* Aciculognatha
										+ Euaciculognatha
										+ Chlorodermata
							+ *unspecified*
								- *unspecified*
									* Onychognatha
									* Mastigognatha
								- Isognatha
									* Myzognatha
										+ *Vitapatatoria aspiana*
									* Euisognatha
										+ Archeisognatha
										+ Cyanodermata

* **Polypodia**
	+ Tetrabrachia
		- Tachypodia
		- Acanthopodia
			* Orthorhachia
				+ Tanypterida
				+ Remipterida
					- Arheremipterida
					- Synopteridae
			* Hadrorhachia
				+ Ptilopoda†
					- *Bathytitan vendari*
				+ Euhadrorhachia
					- Diplocirridae
						* Archediplocirridae
						* Astrapophora
					- Teleopterida
						* Dorypoda
							+ *Kamakivenator cosmici*
							+ Archedorypoda
							+ Xiphopoda
						* Temnopoda†
							+ *Teratodectes iasoni*
	+ Sarcopodia
		- Coelopoda
			* Eucoelopoda
			* Trichopoda
				+ *Prionorostrum aegisari*
		- Neopoda
			* Metaxypoda†
				+ *Argyroderma piacentini*
			* Osteopoda
				+ Polyschia
					- Platydontia
						* Archeplatydontia
							+ Archeplatydontidae
								- *unspecified*
									* Archeplatydontinae
										+ *Dendronomus vasquezi*
									* Xenodontia†
										+ Brachiocephalia†
										+ Euxenodontia†
											- Streptotarsi†
											- Archexenodontia†
								- Neoplatydontia
									* Pleuroptera
										+ Archepleuroptera
											- Archepleuropteridae†
												* *Anthonomos qbelocki*†
											- Platyptera
												* *Sphenorhynchus sullivanae*
												* Euplatyptera
												* Dermatopoda
													+ Archedermatopoda
													+ Neodermatopoda
														- Rhabdopoda
															* Colobathristes borchmori
														- Compsopoda
										+ Theroptera†
											- Eutheroptera†
												* *Melanopteryx alexanderi*†
											- Chlamyptera†
												* Hypsirhynchidae†
												* Archechlamyptera†
													+ Temnorhynchidae†
														- *Charcharonyx mackrethi*†
													+ Archechlamypteridae†
									* Neoplatydontidae
										+ Scandopoda
											- *Carpophagus xeni*
											- Archescandopoda
											- Neoscandopoda
												* Pholcoscelida
												* Brachyscelida
										+ Harpactopoda†
											- Euharpactopoda†
											- Tanybrachidae†
												* *Cephalocarcinus elvari*†
							+ Copetarsi†
								- *Potamodyptes andrewi*†
						* Edaphotheria
							+ Leptopoda
								- Archeleptopoda
									* Euleptopoda†
										+ Euleptopodidae†
										+ Neoleptopoda†
											- Hoplopoda†
											- Camptopoda†
												* Eucamptopoda†
												* Sphenocerata†
									* Amblypoda
								- Thylacopoda†
									* Archethylacopoda†
										+ *Pycnothrix dicksoni*†
									* Allobrachidae†
										+ Euallobrachidae†
											- Corythobrachidae†
												* Archecorythobrachidae†
												* Camarabrachidae†
													+ *Cyanolophus mcgyveri*†
											- Archeallobrachidae†
												* Archeallobrachinae†
													+ *Melanothrix oneiropolos*†
												* Ceratobrachidae†
													+ *Thyreocephalus cryarchon*†
										+ Teleobrachidae†
											- *Therizinyx elliotti†*
							+ Eurycheridae
								- Archeurycheridae†
									* Archeurycheirinae†
										+ *Prolestes solysti*†
									* *Teratocheirus*†
										+ *Teratocheuirus philipi*†
								- Lystrocheiridae
									* Lystrocheirinae
										+ *Psammonyx deschaini*
									* Trypanocheiridae
										+ Archetrypanocheiridae†
										+ Rhamphodontia
											- Eurhamphodontia
												* Archeramphodontia
													+ Apodomorpha
													+ Archeramphodontidae
														- Archeramphodontinae
														- Coryphodontia
															* Archecoryphodontia
															* Septentrioformes
																+ Phractoformes
																+ Cryptonychidae
																	- Archecryptonychidae
																	- Neocryptonychidae
																		* Theristobrachidae
																		* Glyphonychidae
																			+ Archeglyphonychidae
																			+ Archonychidae
												* Acrocheiridae
													+ Euacrocheiridae
														- Archeacrocheiridae
														- Neoacrocheiridae
															* Heterognatha
																+ Distropheognatha
																	- Archedistropheognatha
																	- Neodistropheognatha
																		* Hadronychidae
																		* Daptodontia
																			+ Dryptognatha
																			+ Flagellifera
																+ Procaecoformes
																	- Oligopoda
																	- Euprocaecoformes
																		* Euprocaecoformidae
																		* Megantroformes
															* Panhylotheria
																+ Hylotheria
																	- Thaumatotheriidae
																	- Euhylotheria
																		* Gyrinotheria
																		* Euhylotheriidae
																			+ Euhylotheriinae
																			+ Pelecodontidae
																+ Thrinaxorhynchidae
																	- Archethrinaxorhynchidae
																	- Dictyorhynchidae
													+ Apatocheiridae†
											- Oryctocheiridae
					- Dromaeopoda
						* Archedromaepoda†
							+ *Rhomaleopus*†
							+ Archedromaeopodidae†
								- *Dromovenator setnovi*†
						* Onychodontia
							+ Euonychodontia†
								- Euonychodontidae†
									* Ensidontia†
										+ Euensidontia†
										+ Prionodontia†
									* Euonychodontinae†
										+ Archeonychodontidae†
										+ Cryptodontia†
											- *Raptonyx junae*†
											- Tachydontia†
											- Eucryptodontia†
								- Hadrodontia†
							+ Allodontia
								- Euallodontia†
									* Archallodontia†
									* Eriotherinae†
								- Thecopoda
									* Euthecopoda†
										+ *Leucothrix caliburi*†
									* Amphidontia
										+ Archeamphidontia†
										+ Xenopsidae
											- *polylophodon thomasi*
											- Archexenopsidae
												* Archexenopsinae
												* Euxenopsidae
													+ Ankistrobrachidae
													+ Neoxenopsidae
														- Teleopsidae
														- Chelaphora
															* Stenochelaphora
															* Pachychelaphora
											- Stenopsidae
												* File:StenopsidaeEvo.pngArchestenopsidae
												* Neostenopsidae
													+ Peloropsidae
														- Archepeloropsidae
														- Anaxotheriidae
													+ Ceratodontia
														- Archeceratodontia
														- Neoceratodontia
															* Aratrodontia
															* Isodontia
																+ Kophodontidae
																+ Elaphrodontia
																	- Archelaphrodontia
																	- Neoelaphrodontia
																		* Spathodontia
																		* Xyrodontia
				+ Synischia
					- Megalobrachidae†
						* Archemegalobrachia†
							+ Archemegalobrachidae†
							+ Prenobrachidae†
						* Titanopoda†
							+ Procerapoda†
								- Euprocerapoda†
									* *Megaphagus matti*†
								- Stylopoda†
									* *Hybotitan bluenoti*†
							+ Baropoda†
								- Eubaropoda†
									* *Nanopus proximensis*†
									* Eubaropodidae†
								- Pachypoda†
					- Deinognatha
						* Eudeinognatha†
							+ Eudeinognathidae†
								- *Euoplos gulielmi*†
							+ Malleognatha†
						* Odontognatha
							+ Trachygnatha†
								- *Telmarchos krisi*†
							+ Dolichognatha
								- Eudolichognatha
									* Archedolichognatha†
									* Hybognatha
								- Pelagotheria†
									* Actatheria†
										+ *Eurypus geberi*†
									* Thalattotheria†
										+ Isopterygia†
										+ Anisopterygia†
											- *Pontodrakon nicholsi*†

* **Chemophyta**
	+ Archaeophyta
	+ Xenophyta
		- Caulophyta
			* Neocaulophyta
				+ Eucaulophyta
					- Eucaulophytaceae
						* Eucaulophytoideae
						* Nothodendrales†
					- Reptophyta
				+ Brachyphyta
					- Archebrachyphyta
						* Eubrachyphyta
							+ Eubrachyphytaceae
							+ Desmophyta
								- Carnophyta†
								- Chromatophyta
									* Archechromatophyta
										+ Archechromatophytacea
										+ Aphyllophyta
									* Zygophyta
										+ Zygophytacea
											- Zygodendrales
											- Archezygophytacea
										+ Harpactophyta†
						* Tylophyta
					- Cryptophyta
						* Eucryptophyta
						* Pagophyta
			* Necrophyta
		- Xylophyta
			* Euxylophyta
				+ Archexylophyta
					- Archexylophytacaea
					- Coelophyta
				+ Nodophyta
			* Altiphyta†
				+ *Trilobophyllus axidenti*†

 † = Extinct