Drepanopterus

Drepanopterus
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Arthropoda
Class:	Chelicerata
Order:	†Eurypterida
Suborder:	†Stylonurina
Superfamily:	†Hibbertopteroidea
Family:	†Drepanopteridae
Genus:	Drepanopterus Laurie, 1892

Drepanopterus is an extinct genus of eurypterid. There are currently two species assigned to the genus. The genus has in the past been assigned its own family, with nine species associated with the genus Drepanopterus, however five of these have since been proven to be synonyms of pre-existing species, assigned to their own genera, or found to be based on insubstantial fossil data (the holotype of one proved to be a lithic clast).^[1]

Drepanopterus pentlandicus was first described from the Silurian strata of the Pentland Hills in Scotland. The only other fully described valid species is Drepanopterus abonensis, from the Upper Devonian of Portishead, Somerset. The exact relationship of Drepanopterus to other Eurypterids has long been unclear, however it is now apparent that it is a primitive hibbertopteroid, and an early relative of the Carboniferous Hibbertopterus.

Description

Drepanopterus is distinguished by its "fairly large" size, compound eyes with parallel axes on a subrectangular to subovate prosoma (head). All of its legs are walking legs; the first three pairs are short and powerful, with spines; the last two pairs are moderately long, ending in strongly curved terminal claw. The last leg reaches as far as the penultimate abdominal segment. The telson ranges from styliform to clavate. Drepanopterus date from the Silurian to the Upper Devonian periods.^[2]

Species

• Drepanopterus Laurie, 1892
  • Drepanopterus abonensis Simpson, 1951 — Devonian, England
  • Drepanopterus pentlandicus Laurie, 1892 — Silurian, Scotland

See also

• List of eurypterids

References

1. ^ V. P. Tollerton (2003). "Summary of a revision of New York State Ordovician eurypterids: implications for eurypterid palaeoecology, diversity and evolution". Transactions of the Royal Society of Edinburgh: Earth Sciences 94: 235–242. doi:10.1017/S0263593303000154. 
2. ^ L. Størmer. 1955. Merostomata. Treatise on Invertebrate Paleontology, Part P Arthropoda 2, Chelicerata, p. 36–37.