Jaekelopterus
| Jaekelopterus | |
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| Artist's reconstruction of Jaekelopterus rhenaniae | |
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| Genus: | †Jaekelopterus Waterston, 1964
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| Type species | |
| †Jaekelopterus rhenaniae Jaekel, 1914
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Jaekelopterus is an extinct genus of eurypterids from the Lower Devonian period. The two species are J. rhenaniae from the Rhineland, and J. howelli from Wyoming.
Etymology
The name Jaekelopterus comes from the discoverer of the type species, Otto Jaekel, and Greek pteron, meaning "wing".[source?]
Description
Jaekelopterus is the largest sea scorpions and is possibly the largest arthropod to have ever existed, this is based on a chelicera that is 46 cm long.[1]
Characteristics
This sea scorpion is similar to other types of pterygotid in its morphology,[2] distinguished by a triangular telson.[3]
Visual system
Both Jaekelopterus rhenaniae and Pterygotus anglicus have high visual acuity, and this is suggested by the low IOA and that they have many lenses in their compound eyes.[4]
Classification
Discovery
Jaekelopterus was discovered by Otto Jaekel in 1914 as a Pterygotus species.[source?] However, in 1964, British paleontologist Charles D. Waterston decided to make the genus Jaekelopterus because the abdominal appendages were segmented as opposed to those of Pterygotus.[5]
Species
- †Jaekelopterus rhenaniae Jaekel, 1914
- †Jaekelopterus howelli Kjellesvig-Waering & Størmer, 1952
Gallery
Drawing of Jaekelopterus
Fossil of J. rhenaniae
Size comparison
Jaekelopterus Media
Cheliceral rami of two species of Jaekelopterus
Illustration of the holotype specimen of "Pterygotus rhenaniae", a pretelson, by Otto Jaekel, 1914
Fossil of J. rhenaniae at the Mineralientage München
Fossil paddle (A–B) and metastoma (C–G) of J. howelli
Fossil chelicerae of J. howelli.
Related pages
References
- ↑ Braddy, Poschmann, Tetlie, Simon J.; Markus; Erik O.. Giant claw reveals the largest ever arthropod. Biology Letters 4 (1) (20 Nov 2007). p. 106–109. doi:10.1098/rsbl.2007.0491.
- ↑ Lamsdell, James C.. An isolated pterygotid ramus (Chelicerata: Eurypterida) from the Devonian Beartooth Butte Formation, Wyoming. Journal of Paleontology 84 (6) (2010). p. 1206–1208. doi:10.1666/10-040.1.
- ↑ Lamsdell, J. C.. Babes in the wood – a unique window into sea scorpion ontogeny. BMC Evolutionary Biology 13 (1) (2013). p. 98. doi:10.1186/1471-2148-13-98.
- ↑ Elliott, David K.. New poraspids (Agnatha, Heterostraci) from the Early Devonian of the western United States. Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology 31 (3) (2011). p. 518. doi:10.1080/02724634.2011.557113.
- ↑ D. Waterston, Charles. II. Observations on Pterygotid Eurypterids. Transactions of the Royal Society of Edinburgh 66 (2) (1964). p. 9–33. doi:10.1017/S0080456800023309.