Eurypteroidea are an extinct superfamily of
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 yea ...
s. It contains three families (
Dolichopteridae,
Eurypteridae,
Strobilopteridae) and two genera of uncertain classification, ''
Paraeurypterus'' and ''
Pentlandopterus''.
Description
Eurypteroidea, which lived from the
Ordovician
The Ordovician ( ) is a geologic period and System (geology), system, the second of six periods of the Paleozoic Era (geology), Era. The Ordovician spans 41.6 million years from the end of the Cambrian Period million years ago (Mya) to the start ...
to
Devonian
The Devonian ( ) is a geologic period and system of the Paleozoic era, spanning 60.3 million years from the end of the Silurian, million years ago (Mya), to the beginning of the Carboniferous, Mya. It is named after Devon, England, whe ...
periods, were characterized by their last pair of prosomal (head) appendages, which were developed as swimming legs, carrying paddles formed by the expansion of the two penultimate joints.
[ 1955. Merostomata. ''Treatise on Invertebrate Paleontology, Part P Arthropoda 2, Chelicerata'', P30. as Eurypteracea]
Families
*Order
Eurypterida
Eurypterids, often informally called sea scorpions, are a group of extinct arthropods that form the order Eurypterida. The earliest known eurypterids date to the Darriwilian stage of the Ordovician period 467.3 million years ago. The group is ...
Burmeister, 1843
**Suborder
Eurypterina
Eurypterina is one of two suborders of eurypterids, an extinct group of chelicerate arthropods commonly known as "sea scorpions". Eurypterine eurypterids are sometimes informally known as "swimming eurypterids". They are known from fossil deposi ...
Burmeister, 1845
***Superfamily Eurypteroidea
Burmeister, 1845
****Genus ''
Paraeurypterus''
Lamsdell, Hoşgör & Selden, 2013
****Genus ''
Pentlandopterus''
Lamsdell, Hoşgör & Selden, 2013
****Family
Dolichopteridae Kjellesvig-Waering & Størmer, 1952
****Family
Eurypteridae Burmeister, 1845
****Family
Strobilopteridae Lamsdell & Selden, 2013
References
Ordovician arthropods
Silurian animals
Devonian animals
Late Devonian animals
Carboniferous arthropods
Permian animals
Silurian first appearances
Permian extinctions
Chelicerate superfamilies
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