Stylonurella

Stylonurella is a genus of prehistoric eurypterid.[1] It is classified within the Parastylonuridae family and contains three species, S. arnoldi and S. beecheri from the Devonian of Pennsylvania, United States and S. spinipes from the Silurian of Kip Burn, Scotland.[2]

Stylonurella
Temporal range: Silurian–Devonian
Stylonurella spinipes fossil
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Subphylum: Chelicerata
Order: †Eurypterida
Superfamily: †Stylonuroidea
Family: †Parastylonuridae
Genus: †Stylonurella
Kjellesvig-Waering, 1966
Species
  • †?S. arnoldi Ehlers, 1935
  • †?S. beecheri Hall, 1884
  • †S. spinipes Page, 1859 (type species)

Description
Restoration of S. spinipes.

Stylonurella was a small stylonuroid, possessing a subquadrate prosoma with approximately the same length as width. The midsection was slightly constricted and the eyes were parallel and anteriorly located in the anterior half of the carapace. The metastoma and first two appendages are unknown, the third and fourth prosomal legs are very short and the last two walking legs are very long. The metasoma is very narrow.[3]

Classification

Though one of the earliest described stylonurines, described shortly after the description of Stylonurus itself, it has no close relations to that genus. Indeed, there are numerous and apparent differences. For instance, the eyes of Stylonurus are located on the posterior half of the carapace and those of Stylonurella are on the anterior half. Furthermore, there are noticeable differences between Stylonurella and its closest relative, Parastylonurus, for instance the widely different shapes of the carapaces (quadrate in Stylonurella and subrounded in Parastylonurus).[3]

Species
Size comparison of Stylonurella spinipes

Stylonurella contains three valid species,[2] with other named species now seen as invalid or as part of other genera.

  • Stylonurella? arnoldi Ehlers, 1935 - Pennsylvania, USA (Devonian)
  • Stylonurella? beecheri Hall, 1884 - Pennsylvania, USA (Devonian)
  • Stylonurella spinipes Page, 1859 - Kip Burn, Scotland (Silurian)

Invalid or reassigned species are listed below:

See also
  • List of eurypterids

References
  1. Lamsdell, J. C.; Braddy, S. J.; Tetlie, O. E. (2010). "The systematics and phylogeny of the Stylonurina (Arthropoda: Chelicerata: Eurypterida)". Journal of Systematic Palaeontology. 8: 49. doi:10.1080/14772011003603564.
  2. 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).
  3. A revision of the families and genera of the Stylonuracea (Eurypterida)
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