Conversus caperatus

“Turned around and wrinkled”

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.