Jaekelopterus

Jaekelopterus

Jaekelopterus
Temporal range: Pragian–Early Emsian, 410.8–402.5 Ma
Artist's reconstruction of Jaekelopterus rhenaniae
Scientific classification
Domain:
Eukaryota
Kingdom:
Animalia
Phylum:
Arthropoda
Subphylum:
Chelicerata
Order:
†Eurypterida
Superfamily:
†Pterygotioidea
Family:
†Pterygotidae
Genus:
†Jaekelopterus

Waterston, 1964
Type species
†Jaekelopterus rhenaniae
Jaekel, 1914

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

Fossilized eyes of J. rhenaniae

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
  • Drawing of Jaekelopterus
    Drawing of Jaekelopterus
  • Fossil of J. rhenaniae
    Fossil of J. rhenaniae
  • Size comparison
    Size comparison

References

  1. ↑ Braddy, Poschmann, Tetlie, Simon J.; Markus; Erik O. (20 Nov 2007). "Giant claw reveals the largest ever arthropod". Biology Letters. 4 (1): 106–109. doi:10.1098/rsbl.2007.0491. PMC 2412931. PMID 18029297.{{cite journal}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  2. ↑ Lamsdell, James C.; Legg, David A. (2010). "An isolated pterygotid ramus (Chelicerata: Eurypterida) from the Devonian Beartooth Butte Formation, Wyoming". Journal of Paleontology. 84 (6): 1206–1208. Bibcode:2010JPal...84.1206L. doi:10.1666/10-040.1.
  3. ↑ Lamsdell, J. C.; Selden, P. A. (2013). "Babes in the wood – a unique window into sea scorpion ontogeny". BMC Evolutionary Biology. 13 (1): 98. Bibcode:2013BMCEE..13...98L. doi:10.1186/1471-2148-13-98. PMC 3679797. PMID 23663507.
  4. ↑ Elliott, David K.; Petriello, Michael A. (2011). "New poraspids (Agnatha, Heterostraci) from the Early Devonian of the western United States". Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology. 31 (3): 518. Bibcode:2011JVPal..31..518E. doi:10.1080/02724634.2011.557113.
  5. ↑ D. Waterston, Charles (1964). "II. Observations on Pterygotid Eurypterids". Transactions of the Royal Society of Edinburgh. 66 (2): 9–33. doi:10.1017/S0080456800023309.

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