Megacheira

Megacheira Temporal range: Cambrian Stage 3–Middle Cambrian PreЄ Є O S D C P T J K Pg N Possible Silurian and Devonian records
Forfexicaris, Ovalicephalus, Occacaris
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Arthropoda
Clade:	Arachnomorpha
Class:	†Megacheira Hou and Bergstrom, 1997

Megacheira ("Great Hands") is an extinct class of predatory arthropods that possessed a pair of short enlarged appendages (the source of the class' name). They strongly resemble early chelicerates. Most of them were found in marine environments throughout the world from the lower to middle Cambrian. The group might also contain one species (Enalikter aphson) described from the Silurian Herefordshire Lagerstätte of the United Kingdom, and one species (Bundenbachiellus giganteus) known from the Early Devonian of Germany; however, the interpretation of these taxa as megacheirans was challenged by Struck et al. (2015). Megacheirans were important components of several faunas, including the Burgess, Wheeler and Maotianshan Shales Lagerstatten. Genera referred to the class include Leanchoilia, Alalcomenaeus, Oestokerkus, Yohoia, Fortiforceps and Jianfengia.