Mixopteridae
| Mixopteridae Temporal range: early Silurian,
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| File:Mixopterus.jpg | |
| Fossil of Mixopterus kiaeri exhibited at the Moscow Paleontological Museum. | |
| Scientific classification Edit this classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Subphylum: | Chelicerata |
| Order: | †Eurypterida |
| Infraorder: | †Diploperculata |
| Superfamily: | †Carcinosomatoidea |
| Family: | †Mixopteridae Caster & Kjellesvig-Waering, 1955 |
| Type species | |
| †Mixopterus multispinosus Ruedemann, 1921
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| Genera | |
| Synonyms | |
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The Mixopteridae are a family of eurypterids, an extinct group of chelicerate arthropods commonly known as "sea scorpions". The family is one of two families contained in the superfamily Carcinosomatoidea (along with Carcinosomatidae), which in turn is one of the superfamilies classified as part of the suborder Eurypterina.
According to a 2024 paper, this family may be paraphyletic, containing modern scorpions.[1] However, the vast majority of phylogenetic analyses classify scorpions as arachnids, not eurypterids, making this claim unlikely.[2]
Description
[edit | edit source]Mixopterids were characterized by large 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. 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.[3]
Genera
[edit | edit source]- Order Eurypterida Burmeister, 1843
- Superfamily Carcinosomatoidea Burmeister, 1845
- Family Mixopteridae Caster & Kjellesvig-Waering, 1955
- Genus Mixopterus Ruedemann, 1921
- Genus Lanarkopterus Størmer, 1936
- Genus Terropterus Wang et al., 2021
- Family Mixopteridae Caster & Kjellesvig-Waering, 1955
See also
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References
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- ^ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2172: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
- ^ Størmer, L 1955. Merostomata. Treatise on Invertebrate Paleontology, Part P Arthropoda 2, Chelicerata, P34-P35.
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