This Day in History: 1867-05-29
Richard Heymons (1867 – 1943) was born on this day. He was a German zoologist, engaged in research into pentastomids or tongue worms. Heymons coined the word Chelicerata, the name for a subphylum of the Arthropoda, containing the horseshoe crabs, sea spiders, and arachnids (including scorpions and spiders), characterized by feeding appendages that are jointed pincers or chelicerae.
Chelicera – Greek Cheli-, khele (χηλη), crab’s claw; -cera, keras (κερας), horn – alluding to either of a pair of appendages in front of the mouth in arachnids and some other arthropods, usually modified as pincer-like claws.
Heymons described around 25 taxa and is honoured in the name of a nematode under heymonsi.