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Praearcturus

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Extinct genus of scorpion

Praearcturus
Temporal range: Lochkovian PreꞒ Ꞓ O S D C P T J K Pg N
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Subphylum: Chelicerata
Class: Arachnida
Order: Scorpiones
Family: †Praearcturidae
Genus: †Praearcturus
Woodward, 1871
Species: †P. gigas
Binomial name
†Praearcturus gigas
Woodward, 1871

Praearcturus is an extinct genus of scorpion known from the Devonian of what is now Britain. It is the only genus in the family Praearcturidae and contains the single species Praearcturus gigas. The type fossil was discovered in Rowlestone, England, and was described in 1871 by Henry Woodward. While type specimen is from Lower Devonian of Old Red Sandstone, single tergite remain is known from Lower Devonian of Wyoming and fragmentary cuticles referrable to this genus is known from Famennian of Portishead. The species could reach a total length of nearly 1 metre (3.3 ft), making it one of the largest scorpions known.

References

  1. ^ "Mindat.org". www.mindat.org. Retrieved 2021-12-28.
  2. Woodward, H. (1871). "On the remains of a giant isopod Praearcturus gigas (H. Woodward) from the Old Red Sandstone of Rowlestone quarry, Herefordshire". Transactions of the Woolhope Field Naturalist's Club. 1870: 266–270.
  3. ^ Kjellesvig-Waering, E. N. (1986). "A restudy of the fossil Scorpionida of the world". Palaeontographica Americana. 55: 1–287.
  4. Dunlop, Jason A.; Garwood, Russell J. (2024-12-06). "A review of fossil scorpion higher systematics". PeerJ. 12: e18557. doi:10.7717/peerj.18557. ISSN 2167-8359. PMC 11627080.
  5. Lamsdell, James C.; Braddy, Simon J.; Tetlie, O. E. (2009). "Redescription of Drepanopterus abonensis (Chelicerata: Eurypterida: Stylonurina) from the late Devonian of Portishead, UK". Palaeontology. 52 (5): 1113–1139. Bibcode:2009Palgy..52.1113L. doi:10.1111/j.1475-4983.2009.00902.x. S2CID 129243775.
  6. Dunlop, J. A.; Selden, P. A. (2013). "Scorpion fragments from the Silurian of Powys, Wales" (PDF). Arachnology. 16 (1): 27–32. doi:10.13156/arac.2013.16.1.27. S2CID 128679832.
Taxon identifiers
Praearcturus
Praearcturus gigas


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