Dolichopterus

Dolichopterus Temporal range: Late Silurian PreЄ Є O S D C P T J K Pg N
D. macrocheirus fossil
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Arthropoda
Subphylum:	Chelicerata
Order:	†Eurypterida
Superfamily:	†Eurypteroidea
Family:	†Dolichopteridae
Genus:	†Dolichopterus Hall, 1859
Type species
Dolichopterus macrocheirus Hall, 1859
Other species
D. gotlandicus Kjellesvig-Waering, 1979 D. jewetti Caster & Kjellesvig-Waering, 1956 D. siluriceps Clarke & Ruedemann, 1912

Dolichopterus is a genus of the prehistoric sea scorpions, arthropods in the order Eurypterida. Dolichopterus contains four species, all from the Late Silurian. Three species (D. jewetti, D. macrocheirus and D. siluriceps) have been recovered from New York, United States and one (D. gotlandicus) has been recovered from Gotland, Sweden.^[1]

Distribution

Restoration of D. macrocheirus

It lived in the Late Silurian (around 420 million years ago) in shelf or epicontinental seas of the region where Avalonia, Baltica and Laurentia met during the Caledonian orogeny; its fossils have been found in modern-day North America and the Baltic region. They were about 25–30 centimetres (10–12 in) long.

Description

Dolichopteridae, which lived in the Silurian and Devonian periods, had outer surfaces that were either smooth with pustules and semilunar scales. Their compound eyes were arcuate and located anteriorly on the prosoma (head). Their abdomens had epimers (lateral projections). The telson, (tail) was lanceolate. Their chelicerae were small, and the first three pairs of walking lags were stout, with powerful spines. The last pair of walking lags had supplementary lobes, while the swimming lags had the last joint enlarged, as part of the paddle. The male genital appendage was long.^[2]

Dolichopterus is distinguishable by its nearly smooth outer surface; its subquadrate prosoma (head), and the slightly serrated margins on the distal joints and lobes of the swimming legs.^[2]

References

See also

• List of eurypterids