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Ciurcopterus
''Ciurcopterus'' is a genus of eurypterid, an extinct group of aquatic arthropods. Fossils of ''Ciurcopterus'' have been discovered in deposits of Late Silurian age in North America. Classified as part of the family Pterygotidae, the genus contains two species, ''C. sarlei'' from Pittsford, New York and ''C. ventricosus'' from Kokomo, Indiana. The genus is named in honor of Samuel J. Ciurca, Jr., who has contributed significantly to eurypterid research by discovering a large amount of eurypterid specimens, including the four specimens used to describe ''Ciurcopterus'' itself. ''Ciurcopterus'' is the most basal (primitive) known member of the Pterygotidae, and combined characteristics of more derived members of the family with features of close relatives of the group, such as '' Slimonia''. Measuring 70 centimetres (28 inches) in length, ''Ciurcopterus'' was relatively large though smaller than many of the later members of its family, which would grow to become the largest known a ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Ciurcopterus Size
''Ciurcopterus'' is a genus of eurypterid, an extinct group of aquatic arthropods. Fossils of ''Ciurcopterus'' have been discovered in deposits of Late Silurian age in North America. Classified as part of the family Pterygotidae, the genus contains two species, ''C. sarlei'' from Pittsford, New York and ''C. ventricosus'' from Kokomo, Indiana. The genus is named in honor of Samuel J. Ciurca, Jr., who has contributed significantly to eurypterid research by discovering a large amount of eurypterid specimens, including the four specimens used to describe ''Ciurcopterus'' itself. ''Ciurcopterus'' is the most basal (primitive) known member of the Pterygotidae, and combined characteristics of more derived members of the family with features of close relatives of the group, such as ''Slimonia''. Measuring 70 centimetres (28 inches) in length, ''Ciurcopterus'' was relatively large though smaller than many of the later members of its family, which would grow to become the largest known ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Pterygotidae
Pterygotidae (the name deriving from the type genus ''Pterygotus'', meaning "winged one") is a family of eurypterids, an extinct group of aquatic arthropods. They were members of the superfamily Pterygotioidea. Pterygotids were the largest known arthropods to have ever lived with some members of the family, such as ''Jaekelopterus'' and '' Acutiramus'', exceeding 2 metres (6.6 ft) in length. Their fossilized remains have been recovered in deposits ranging in age from 428 to 372 million years old ( Late Silurian to Late Devonian). One of the most successful groups of eurypterids, the pterygotids were the only eurypterid family to achieve a truly worldwide distribution. Several evolutionary innovations made the pterygotids unique among the eurypterids, with large and flattened telsons (the posteriormost division of the body) likely used as rudders to provide additional agility and enlarged chelicerae (frontal appendages) with claws. These claws were robust and possessed tee ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Hughmilleriidae
Hughmilleriidae (the name deriving from the type genus '' Hughmilleria'', which is named in honor of Scottish geologist Hugh Miller) is a family of eurypterids, an extinct group of aquatic arthropods. The hughmilleriids were the most basal members of the superfamily Pterygotioidea, in contrast with the more derived (more "advanced") families Pterygotidae and Slimonidae. Despite their classification as pterygotioids, the hughmilleriids possessed several characteristics shared with other eurypterid groups, such as the lanceolate telson (the most posterior segment of the body). Hughmilleriids are defined as pterygotioid eurypterids with swimming legs similar to those of the type genus, ''Hughmilleria'' (that is, 7th and 8th leg segments narrow and 9th segment very small), and whose second to fifth pair of appendages were spiniferous. Some further diagnostic characters unite the group, such as the slightly enlarged chelicerae (frontal appendages) and the streamlined shape of their b ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Erettopterus
''Erettopterus'' is a genus of large predatory eurypterid, an extinct group of aquatic arthropods. Fossils of ''Erettopterus'' have been discovered in deposits ranging from Early Silurian (the Rhuddanian age) to the Early Devonian (the Lochkovian age), and have been referred to several different species. Fossils have been recovered from two continents; Europe and North America. The genus name is composed by the Ancient Greek words ἐρέττω (''eréttō''), which means "rower", and πτερόν (''pterón''), which means "wing", and therefore, "rower wing". ''Erettopterus'' is classified as part of the eurypterid family Pterygotidae, a family differentiated from other eurypterids by their flattened telsons (the most posterior segment of the body) and their modified chelicerae (frontal appendages), ending in well-developed chelae (claws). Although some pterygotid eurypterids, such as ''Jaekelopterus'' or '' Acutiramus'' grew to gigantic proportions, it is estimated that the ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Pterygotus
''Pterygotus'' is a genus of giant predatory eurypterid, a group of extinct aquatic arthropods. Fossils of ''Pterygotus'' have been discovered in deposits ranging in age from Middle Silurian to Late Devonian, and have been referred to several different species. Fossils have been recovered from four continents; Australia, Europe, North America and South America, which indicates that ''Pterygotus'' might have had a nearly cosmopolitan (worldwide) distribution. The type species, ''P. anglicus'', was described by Swiss naturalist Louis Agassiz in 1839, who gave it the name ''Pterygotus'', meaning "winged one". Agassiz mistakenly believed the remains were of a giant fish; he would only realize the mistake five years later in 1844. ''Pterygotus'' was among the largest eurypterids. Isolated fossil remains of a large chelicera (frontal appendage) suggests that the largest known species, ''P. grandidentatus'', reached a body length of . Several other species, notably ''P. impacatus'' at ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Hughmilleria
''Hughmilleria'' is a genus of eurypterid, an extinct group of aquatic arthropods. Fossils of ''Hughmilleria'' have been discovered in deposits of the Silurian age in China and the United States. Classified as part of the basal family Hughmilleriidae, the genus contains three species, ''H. shawangunk'' from the eastern United States, ''H. socialis'' from Pittsford, New York, and ''H. wangi'' from Hunan, China. The genus is named in honor of the Scottish geologist Hugh Miller. ''H. socialis'' is the type species of Hughmilleriidae, a eurypterid family classified in the superfamily Pterygotioidea that is differentiated by their streamlined bodies, the enlargement of their medium-sized chelicerae and the presence of paired spines on the walking appendages. With the biggest specimen measuring 20 centimetres (8 inches) in length, ''Hughmilleria'' is considered a eurypterid of small size. Description ''Hughmilleria'' is the most basal (primitive) known member of the Pterygotioidea. ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Pterygotioidea
Pterygotioidea (the name deriving from the type genus ''Pterygotus'', meaning "winged one") is a superfamily of eurypterids, an extinct group of aquatic arthropods. Pterygotioids were the most derived members of the infraorder Diploperculata and the sister group of the adelophthalmoid eurypterids. The group includes the basal and small hughmilleriids, the larger and specialized slimonids and the famous pterygotids which were equipped with robust and powerful cheliceral claws. Though the more primitive hughmilleriids were small, '' Hughmilleria wangi'' being the smallest of all pterygotioids at just in length, later members of the group, particularly in the Pterygotidae, would become the largest known arthropods to ever exist with several genera surpassing in length. Among all currently recognized eurypterid clades, the Pterygotioidea is the most diverse, containing over 50 species in 10 genera. With the number of recognized eurypterid species being around 250, pterygotio ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Jaekelopterus
''Jaekelopterus'' is a genus of predatory eurypterid, a group of extinct aquatic arthropods. Fossils of ''Jaekelopterus'' have been discovered in deposits of Early Devonian age, from the Pragian and Emsian stages. There are two known species: the type species ''J. rhenaniae'' from brackish to fresh water strata in the Rhineland, and ''J. howelli'' from estuarine strata in Wyoming. The generic name combines the name of German paleontologist Otto Jaekel, who described the type species, and the Greek word πτερόν (''pteron'') meaning "wing". Based on the isolated fossil remains of a large chelicera (claw) from the Klerf Formation of Germany, ''J. rhenaniae'' has been estimated to have reached a size of around 2.3–2.6 metres (7.5–8.5 ft), making it the largest arthropod ever discovered, surpassing other large arthropods such as fellow eurypterids '' Acutiramus'' and ''Pterygotus'' and the millipede ''Arthropleura''. ''J. howelli'' was much smaller, reaching 80 ce ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Slimonia
''Slimonia'' is a genus of eurypterid, an extinct group of aquatic arthropods. Fossils of ''Slimonia'' have been discovered in deposits of Silurian age in South America and Europe. Classified as part of the family Slimonidae alongside the related ''Salteropterus'', the genus contains three valid species, ''S. acuminata'' from Lesmahagow, Scotland, ''S. boliviana'' from Cochabamba, Bolivia and ''S. dubia'' from the Pentland Hills of Scotland and one dubious species, ''S. stylops'', from Herefordshire, England. The generic name is derived from and honors Robert Slimon, a fossil collector and surgeon from Lesmahagow. Out of the four described species of ''Slimonia'', three measured below or up to in length. Only ''S. acuminata'' was larger, with the largest specimens measuring in length. Though this is large for a predatory arthropod, ''Slimonia'' would be exceeded in length by later and more derived (more "advanced") members of the closely related pterygotid family of eurypterid ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Jaekelopterus Rhenaniae
''Jaekelopterus'' is a genus of predatory eurypterid, a group of extinct aquatic arthropods. Fossils of ''Jaekelopterus'' have been discovered in deposits of Early Devonian age, from the Pragian and Emsian stages. There are two known species: the type species ''J. rhenaniae'' from brackish to fresh water strata in the Rhineland, and ''J. howelli'' from estuarine strata in Wyoming. The generic name combines the name of German paleontologist Otto Jaekel, who described the type species, and the Greek word πτερόν (''pteron'') meaning "wing". Based on the isolated fossil remains of a large chelicera (claw) from the Klerf Formation of Germany, ''J. rhenaniae'' has been estimated to have reached a size of around 2.3–2.6 metres (7.5–8.5 ft), making it the largest arthropod ever discovered, surpassing other large arthropods such as fellow eurypterids ''Acutiramus'' and ''Pterygotus'' and the millipede ''Arthropleura''. ''J. howelli'' was much smaller, reaching 80 centim ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Acutiramus
''Acutiramus'' is a genus of giant predatory eurypterid, an extinct group of aquatic arthropods. Fossils of ''Acutiramus'' have been discovered in deposits of Late Silurian to Early Devonian age. Seven species have been described, five from North America (including ''A. cummingsi'', the type speciesTollerton, V. P. Jr 1997The Type Species of the Eurypterid Genus ''Acutiramus'' Ruedemann, 1935 ''Journal of Paleontology'' 71(5):950-951) and two from the Czech RepublicDunlop, J. A., Penney, D. & Jekel, D. 2018A summary list of fossil spiders and their relatives In World Spider Catalog. Natural History Museum Bern (with one of them potentially found in Australia as well). The generic name derives from Latin ''acuto'' ("acute" or "sharp") and Latin ''ramus'' ("branch"), referring to the acute angle of the final tooth of the claws relative to the rest of the claw.Størmer, L. 1955. Merostomata. ''Treatise on Invertebrate Paleontology, Part P Arthropoda 2, Chelicerata'', P: 30–31. '' ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Slimonidae
Slimonidae (the name deriving from the type genus '' Slimonia'', which is named in honor of Welsh fossil collector and surgeon Robert Slimon) is a family of eurypterids, an extinct group of aquatic arthropods. Slimonids were members of the superfamily Pterygotioidea and the family most closely related to the derived pterygotid eurypterids, which are famous for their cheliceral claws and great size. Many characteristics of the Slimonidae, such as their flattened and expanded telsons (the posteriormost division of their bodies), support a close relationship between the two groups. Slimonids are defined as pterygotioid eurypterids with swimming legs similar to those of the type genus, ''Slimonia'', and the second to fifth pair of appendages being non-spiniferous. The family contains only two genera, the almost completely known ''Slimonia'' and '' Salteropterus'', which is known only from the telson and the metastoma (a large plate part of the abdomen). Both slimonid genera preserv ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
