Ctenopterus

Ctenopterus is a genus of prehistoric eurypterid of the family Stylonuridae. It contains only one species, Ctenopterus cestrotus from the Early Silurian of Otisville, New York.[1]

Ctenopterus
Temporal range: Early Silurian
Restoration and fossils
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Subphylum: Chelicerata
Order: †Eurypterida
Family: †Stylonuridae
Subfamily: †Laurieipterinae
Genus: †Ctenopterus
Clarke & Ruedemann, 1912
Species:
†C. cestrotus
Binomial name
†Ctenopterus cestrotus
(Clarke, 1907)

Description
Elements of Ctenopterus (1-7)

Stylonurids, which lived from the Ordovician to Lower Permian periods, were small to very large forms with scales developing into tubercules and knobs. The prosoma (head) exhibited variable shape, with arcuate compound eyes located subcentrally, or anteriorly. Their abdomens were slender. Their walking legs were long and powerful, sometimes characterized by spines. Most genera did not have swimming legs.[2]

Ctenopterus is distinguished by its prosoma (head), which narrows towards the front. All of its legs are walking legs; the second and third pairs are strongly developed, with a double row of numerous flat spines; the last pair is long, without spines. Ctenopterus dates from the Silurian period.[3]

See also
  • List of eurypterids

References
  1. Dunlop, J. A., Penney, D. & Jekel, D. 2015. A summary list of fossil spiders and their relatives. In World Spider Catalog. Natural History Museum Bern, online at http://wsc.nmbe.ch, version 16.0 http://www.wsc.nmbe.ch/resources/fossils/Fossils16.0.pdf (PDF).
  2. Størmer, L 1955. Merostomata. Treatise on Invertebrate Paleontology, Part P Arthropoda 2, Chelicerata, P36.
  3. Størmer, L 1955. Merostomata. Treatise on Invertebrate Paleontology, Part P Arthropoda 2, Chelicerata, P38.


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