- Mixopterus
-
Mixopterus
Temporal range: Late Silurian
Scientific classification 
Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Arthropoda Class: Merostomata Order: †Eurypterida Superfamily: genus of a eurypterid. It belongs to the family Mixopteridae. Contents
Description
Mixopterus kiaeri
Mixopterus were characterised by a robust exoskeletons with scattered tubercles or semicircular scales. The prosoma (head) was subquadrate, protruding antemedially. The chelicerae (claws in front of the mouth) were small. The first two pairs of walking legs were strongly developed, with long paired spines.[1] The third and fourth walking legs were moderately sized, with short spines. The preabdomen, the front portion of the body, was narrow with axial furrows, while the postabdomen was narrow. The telson was a curved spine.[2]
Species
Three species are currently classified under the genus:
- Mixopterus kiaeri Størmer, 1934 - Ringerike, Norway (Silurian)
- Mixopterus multispinosus (Clarke & Ruedemann, 1912) - New York (Silurian)
- Mixopterus simonsoni Schmidt, 1883 - Saaremaa, Estonia
See also
References
- ^ Euan Neilson Kerr Clarkson (1998). "Arthropods". Invertebrate Palaeontology and Evolution (4th ed.). Wiley-Blackwell. pp. 348–405. ISBN 9780632052387. http://books.google.co.uk/books?id=g1P2VaPQWfUC&pg=PA397.
- ^ Leif Størmer (1955). "Merostomata". Part P Arthropoda 2, Chelicerata. Treatise on Invertebrate Paleontology. pp. 34–35.
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