Phalangiotarbida

Phalangiotarbida is an extinct order of Paleozoic arachnids known from fossils. Its members had compact bodies and long legs resembling those of harvestmen.

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Arachnid: An arthropod in the class Arachnida, typically with four pairs of walking legs and no antennae. Phalangiotarbids are classified among arachnids, whose body plan frames their fossil anatomy.
Eophrynus: An extinct genus of phalangiotarbids known from Carboniferous fossils. Its fossils are among the recognizable examples used to study the order.
Trigonotarbida: An extinct order of Paleozoic arachnids with segmented abdomens and often conspicuous body ornamentation. It is a fellow Paleozoic arachnid order that can be compared anatomically.
Arachnid phylogeny: The evolutionary relationships among arachnid groups, living and extinct. Phalangiotarbids' position among arachnids remains difficult to resolve from fossils.
Harvestman: An arachnid in the order Opiliones, often recognized by a compact body and long legs. The resemblance that inspired the group's name does not establish close kinship.
Architarbus: An extinct genus of phalangiotarbids described from Paleozoic fossils. It provides a named fossil genus within the order.
Uraraneida: An extinct group of Paleozoic arachnids known for a long, segmented tail-like flagellum. Its distinct body form highlights the variety of extinct arachnids.
Paleontology: The study of ancient life through fossils and other geological evidence. The order's interpretation depends on methods for reading incomplete fossil evidence.
Arthropod: An invertebrate animal with a segmented body, jointed appendages, and a chitinous exoskeleton. Phalangiotarbids belong to this broader animal group.
Mazon Creek fossil beds: A Carboniferous fossil locality in Illinois, famous for concretions preserving diverse organisms. Its exceptional preservation includes arachnid fossils relevant to phalangiotarbid diversity.