Conversus caperatus
- Kingdom
- Microsynthera
- Phylum
- Plasticae
- Class
- Occlupanida
- Order
- Orthogonidectes
- Family
- Toxodentidae
- Genus
- Conversus
- Species
- caperatus
- External morphology
Asymmetrical palps that continue up the lateral side. Size 21.6 mm x 25.7mm
Specimen discovered by FORC occlupanologist L. Helm from a hoard donated by a recycling company. Its oral groove appears to be that of a standard Tridentid, but upon closer examination there are several morphological dissimilarities: The central dential process is gently sloped, not squared-off, and the mid-oral dential processes curve outward towards the oral groove. The inner oral hook is also distinctly squared-off, lending the whole structure a “reversed mirror” look in comparison to Tridentids. In addition, on one oral hook the outer asymmetrical palps are profoundly different. This haphazard topology led some occlupanologists to consider the specimen a random mutuation, but recent sightings of similar occlupanids build convincing evidence that it is a species in its own right.