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Vernonopterus
''Vernonopterus'' is a genus of eurypterid, a group of extinct aquatic arthropods. Fossils of ''Vernonopterus'' have been discovered in deposits of the Carboniferous period in Scotland. The name of the genus derives from the location where the only known fossil has been discovered, Mount Vernon near Airdrie in Lanarkshire, Scotland. A single species of ''Vernonopterus'' is recognized, ''V. minutisculptus'', based on fragmentary fossilized tergites, segments on the upper side of the abdomen. The species name ''minutisculptus'' refers to the ornamentation of scales that covers the entirety of the preserved parts of the eurypterid. Although little can confidently be said about the appearance of ''Vernonopterus'', it is likely to have been similar to its relatives within the hibbertopterid family, ''Hibbertopterus'' and '' Campylocephalus''. The hibbertopterids were large eurypterids with broad heads and bodies and appendages developed for sweep-feeding, a technique involving blade- ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Vernonopterus Scale
''Vernonopterus'' is a genus of eurypterid, a group of extinct aquatic Arthropod, arthropods. Fossils of ''Vernonopterus'' have been discovered in Deposition (geology), deposits of the Carboniferous period in Scotland. The name of the genus derives from the location where the only known fossil has been discovered, Mount Vernon, Glasgow, Mount Vernon near Airdrie, North Lanarkshire, Airdrie in Lanarkshire, Scotland. A single species of ''Vernonopterus'' is recognized, ''V. minutisculptus'', based on fragmentary fossilized tergites, Segmentation (biology), segments on the upper side of the abdomen. The species name ''minutisculptus'' refers to the Biological ornament, ornamentation of Scale (anatomy), scales that covers the entirety of the preserved parts of the eurypterid. Although little can confidently be said about the appearance of ''Vernonopterus'', it is likely to have been similar to its relatives within the Hibbertopteridae, hibbertopterid Family (biology), family, ''Hibber ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Hibbertopterus
''Hibbertopterus'' is a genus of eurypterid, a group of extinct aquatic arthropods. Fossils of ''Hibbertopterus'' have been discovered in deposits ranging from the Devonian period in Belgium, Scotland and the United States to the Carboniferous period in Scotland, Ireland, the Czech Republic and South Africa. The type species, ''H. scouleri'', was first named as a species of the significantly different ''Eurypterus'' by Samuel Hibbert in 1836. The generic name ''Hibbertopterus'', coined more than a century later, combines his name and the Greek word πτερόν (''pteron'') meaning "wing". ''Hibbertopterus'' was the largest eurypterid within the stylonurine suborder, with the largest fossil specimens suggesting that ''H. scouleri'' could reach lengths around 180–200 centimetres (5.9–6.6 ft). Though this is significantly smaller than the largest eurypterid overall, ''Jaekelopterus'', which could reach lengths of around , ''Hibbertopterus'' is likely to have been the h ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Hibbertopteridae
Hibbertopteridae (the name deriving from the type genus ''Hibbertopterus'', meaning "Hibbert's wing") is a family of eurypterids, an extinct group of aquatic arthropods. They were members of the superfamily Mycteropoidea. Hibbertopterids were large, broad and heavy animals unlike virtually every other group of eurypterids, which are commonly streamlined and lightweight. Their bizarre morphology is so unusual that they in the past have been thought to represent an entirely distinct order of chelicerates. Fossils of the family first appear in deposits of Middle Devonian age and the last known fossils representing hibbertopterids are known from deposits of Late Permian age. The hibbertopterids represent the last known living eurypterids, going extinct during the Permian–Triassic extinction event or shortly before. Although eurypterids are commonly known as "sea scorpions", hibbertopterids inhabited freshwater swamps and rivers and were unable to swim since they lacked swimming paddl ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Campylocephalus
''Campylocephalus'' is a genus of eurypterid, a group of extinct aquatic arthropods. Fossils of ''Campylocephalus'' have been discovered in deposits ranging from the Carboniferous period in the Czech Republic (the species ''C. salmi'') to the Permian period of Russia (species ''C. oculatus'' and ''C. permianus''). The generic name is composed of the Greek words καμπύλος (''kampýlos''), meaning "curved", and κεφαλή (''kephalē''), meaning "head". It was a member of the hibbertopterid family of eurypterids and probably looked much the same as the other members of the family, ''Hibbertopterus'' and '' Vernonopterus'', in that it was a large, broad and heavy animal quite different from the famous swimming eurypterids (such as ''Pterygotus'' and ''Eurypterus'') which had been common during earlier periods. Like all other stylonurine eurypterids, ''Campylocephalus'' completely lacked swimming paddles. Hibbertopterids such as ''Campylocephalus'' were, as many other fa ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Westphalian (stage)
The Westphalian is a stage in the regional stratigraphy of northwest Europe with an age between roughly 313 and 304 Ma (million years ago). It is a subdivision of the Carboniferous system or period and the regional Silesian series. The Westphalian is named for the region of Westphalia (German: ''Westfalen'') in western Germany where strata of this age occur. The Coal Measures of England and Wales are also largely of Westphalian age though they also extend into the succeeding Stephanian. The Westphalian age is preceded by the Namurian stage/age (which corresponds to the Millstone Grit Series of Great Britain) and succeeded by the Stephanian stage/age (which corresponds to the uppermost part of the Coal Measures of Great Britain). In the official geologic timescale of the ICS, the Westphalian is placed within the Pennsylvanian epoch (318-299 Ma).F M Gradstein, J G Ogg, A G Smith et al 2004, ‘A Geologic Time Scale 2004’. The (regionally defined) Westphalian stage corres ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Carapace
A carapace is a Dorsum (biology), dorsal (upper) section of the exoskeleton or shell in a number of animal groups, including arthropods, such as crustaceans and arachnids, as well as vertebrates, such as turtles and tortoises. In turtles and tortoises, the underside is called the plastron. Crustaceans In crustaceans, the carapace functions as a protective cover over the cephalothorax (i.e., the fused head and thorax, as distinct from the abdomen behind). Where it projects forward beyond the eyes, this projection is called a rostrum (anatomy), rostrum. The carapace is Calcification, calcified to varying degrees in different crustaceans. Zooplankton within the phylum Crustacea also have a carapace. These include Cladocera, ostracods, and Isopoda, isopods, but isopods only have a developed "cephalic shield" carapace covering the head. Arachnids In arachnids, the carapace is formed by the fusion of prosomal tergites into a single Plate (animal anatomy), plate which carries the e ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Exoskeleton
An exoskeleton (from Greek ''éxō'' "outer" and ''skeletós'' "skeleton") is an external skeleton that supports and protects an animal's body, in contrast to an internal skeleton (endoskeleton) in for example, a human. In usage, some of the larger kinds of exoskeletons are known as " shells". Examples of exoskeletons within animals include the arthropod exoskeleton shared by chelicerates, myriapods, crustaceans, and insects, as well as the shell of certain sponges and the mollusc shell shared by snails, clams, tusk shells, chitons and nautilus. Some animals, such as the turtle, have both an endoskeleton and an exoskeleton. Role Exoskeletons contain rigid and resistant components that fulfill a set of functional roles in many animals including protection, excretion, sensing, support, feeding and acting as a barrier against desiccation in terrestrial organisms. Exoskeletons have a role in defense from pests and predators, support and in providing an attachment framework f ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Posterior (anatomy)
Standard anatomical terms of location are used to unambiguously describe the anatomy of animals, including humans. The terms, typically derived from Latin or Greek language, Greek roots, describe something in its standard anatomical position. This position provides a definition of what is at the front ("anterior"), behind ("posterior") and so on. As part of defining and describing terms, the body is described through the use of anatomical planes and anatomical axis, anatomical axes. The meaning of terms that are used can change depending on whether an organism is bipedal or quadrupedal. Additionally, for some animals such as invertebrates, some terms may not have any meaning at all; for example, an animal that is radially symmetrical will have no anterior surface, but can still have a description that a part is close to the middle ("proximal") or further from the middle ("distal"). International organisations have determined vocabularies that are often used as standard vocabular ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Biology Letters
''Biology Letters'' is a peer-reviewed, biological, scientific journal published by the Royal Society. It focuses on the rapid publication of short high quality research articles, reviews and opinion pieces across the biological sciences. ''Biology Letters'' has an average turnaround time of twenty four days from submission to a first decision. The editor-in-chief is Professor David Beerling FRS (University of Sheffield) who is supported by an international Editorial Board of practising scientists. Contents and themes As well as the conventional, short research articles, ''Biology Letters'' has recently published Special Features and Mini Series. While Special Features are a collection of up to 20 articles on a specific theme and published across multiple issues, Mini Series include up to six articles that are published in one issue. Examples of topics in these formats include ocean acidification, fossils, extinction, enhanced rock weathering and the evolutionary ecology of sp ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Fossil
A fossil (from Classical Latin , ) is any preserved remains, impression, or trace of any once-living thing from a past geological age. Examples include bones, shells, exoskeletons, stone imprints of animals or microbes, objects preserved in amber, hair, petrified wood and DNA remnants. The totality of fossils is known as the ''fossil record''. Paleontology is the study of fossils: their age, method of formation, and evolutionary significance. Specimens are usually considered to be fossils if they are over 10,000 years old. The oldest fossils are around 3.48 billion years old to 4.1 billion years old. Early edition, published online before print. The observation in the 19th century that certain fossils were associated with certain rock strata led to the recognition of a geological timescale and the relative ages of different fossils. The development of radiometric dating techniques in the early 20th century allowed scientists to quantitatively measure the ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Eurypterid
Eurypterids, often informally called sea scorpions, are a group of extinct arthropods that form the Order (biology), order Eurypterida. The earliest known eurypterids date to the Darriwilian stage of the Ordovician period 467.3 Myr, million years ago. The group is likely to have appeared first either during the Early Ordovician or Late Cambrian period. With approximately 250 species, the Eurypterida is the most diverse Paleozoic Chelicerata, chelicerate order. Following their appearance during the Ordovician, eurypterids became major components of marine faunas during the Silurian, from which the majority of eurypterid species have been described. The Silurian genus ''Eurypterus'' accounts for more than 90% of all known eurypterid specimens. Though the group continued to diversify during the subsequent Devonian period, the eurypterids were heavily affected by the Late Devonian extinction event. They declined in numbers and diversity until becoming extinct during the Permian–Tri ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Biophysical Environment
A biophysical environment is a biotic and abiotic surrounding of an organism or population, and consequently includes the factors that have an influence in their survival, development, and evolution. A biophysical environment can vary in scale from microscopic to global in extent. It can also be subdivided according to its attributes. Examples include the marine environment, the atmospheric environment and the terrestrial environment. The number of biophysical environments is countless, given that each living organism has its own environment. The term ''environment'' can refer to a singular global environment in relation to humanity, or a local biophysical environment, e.g. the UK's Environment Agency. Life-environment interaction All life that has survived must have adapted to the conditions of its environment. Temperature, light, humidity, soil nutrients, etc., all influence the species within an environment. However, life in turn modifies, in various forms, its conditions. ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
