science

Mimetaster

Mimetaster is a science topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand Mimetaster rather than just read about it. In short: Mimetaster is an extinct genus of marrellomorph arthropod. The type species, Mimetaster hexagonalis is known from the Lower Devonian (Pragian-Emsian) Hunsrück Slate, and amongst the most common arthropods from the locality, with over 120 specimens including three juveniles.

Key takeaways

Mimetaster belongs to science; place it in that map before memorising details.
Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
Connect Mimetaster to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of Mimetaster from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

Mimetaster is an extinct genus of marrellomorph arthropod. The type species, Mimetaster hexagonalis is known from the Lower Devonian (Pragian-Emsian) Hunsrück Slate, and amongst the most common arthropods from the locality, with over 120 specimens including three juveniles.

Description

The head shield of M. hexagonalis had an average length of 1 centimetre (0.39 in), was oval shaped and raised on its upper surface, with three pairs of elongate straight projections radiating outwards, which have pairs of spines. On the upper surface was attached pair of probable eyes on segmented stalks. Attached on the underside was a pair of forward-projecting elongate segmented antennae, the first 10 segments of which were elongate, while the subsequent 14 were short and flagella-like, as well as two pairs of large uniramous (single-branched) leg-like appendages. The first of the two pairs was substantially larger than the second. Also present on the underside of the head was a hypostome, as well as a "ventral organ" of unclear function. The trunk consisted of up to 32 segments, each approximately 0.25 millimetres (3⁄256 in) long and each of which except the last bore a pair of biramous (two-branched) appendages, which gradually decreased in size posteriorly. The endopods (lower, leg-like branches) of the biramous appendages had 7 segments/podomeres, each with endites (structures present on the underside) at the end of each segment except the last. The exopods (upper branches of the limbs) had up to 40 segments, each of which had an individual seta (hair-like structures) projecting downwards.

Ecology M. hexagonalis probably lived in small groups on the seafloor, walking in a tilted, upright posture propped up on its two uniramous legs. The first six trunk endopods are much larger than the remaining pairs, and were likely also used in locomotion, albeit with less power than the two main legs. They are thought to have been deposit feeders. Many specimens have been found associated with tentaculitoids and sponge remains, which suggests that these taxa grew on the surface of Mimetaster as epibionts, which likely acted as camouflage.

"Mimetaster" florestaensis

"Mimetaster" florestaensis is only known from a head shield, which is characterized by three pairs of curved principal spines, as well as strong secondary spines in the proximal two-thirds of the anterolateral spines. It was found in the Lower Ordovician (Tremadocian) Floresta Formation of Argentina, the first occurrence of this group in South America. However the taxon is quite different from the type species, and was found in a phylogenetic analysis to be more closely related to Furca, and thus probably warrants being placed in a new genus, with the genus Tomlinsonus being the closest known relative of M. hexagonalis.

Phylogeny After Moysiuk et al., 2022.

Illustrations

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with Mimetaster

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what Mimetaster claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In science, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to Mimetaster before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about Mimetaster ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of Mimetaster

In research: Mimetaster appears in science research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry: Engineering practice reuses Mimetaster in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom: Mimetaster is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics Devonian Argentina, Devonian arthropods, Fossil taxa described in 1931, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for Mimetaster outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

Affiliate

Preply — study more efficiently by working with a personal tutor. 50% off.

How to study Mimetaster in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what Mimetaster means in your own words.
Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
Explain Mimetaster out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is Mimetaster in simple terms?

Why does Mimetaster matter?

Because it connects several science ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study Mimetaster?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on Mimetaster.