Mazoscolopendra is an extinct genus of scolopendromorph centipedes, and the oldest known member of that order. It existed during the Carboniferous in what is now Illinois (found in Mazon Creek fossil beds).[1]

Mazoscolopendra
Fossil specimen
Scientific classification
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Mazoscolopendra

Mundel, 1979
Type species
Mazoscolopendra richardsoni
Mundel, 1979

With length up to 53 millimetres (2.1 in), this centipede had 21 pedal segments.[1][2] Although family it belongs to is uncertain, in the original description it is suggested that is close to Cryptopidae than to Scolopendridae.[1]

References

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  1. ^ a b c Mundel, Peter (1979-01-01), Nitecki, Matthew H. (ed.), "THE CENTIPEDES (CHILOPODA) OF THE MAZON CREEK", Mazon Creek Fossils, Academic Press, pp. 361–378, ISBN 978-0-12-519650-5, retrieved 2024-02-17
  2. ^ Khramov, Alexander; Shear, William; Mercurio, Randy; Kopylov, Dmitry (2018). "The first Permian centipedes from Russia". Acta Palaeontologica Polonica. 63. doi:10.4202/app.00482.2018. ISSN 0567-7920.