In Depth Given the informal name of ‘Santa Claws’, this arthropod was formerly named as Sanctacaris in 1988 which translates as ‘saintly shrimp’ (alternatively sometimes called ‘saintly crab’). Exact classification of Sanctacaris however has been hard to establish as opinions differ amongst researchers. Although usually attributed as a member of the Chelicerata, Sanctacaris has also … Read more
In Depth A good example of the large arthropods that dominated the world before invertebrates took over, it has been surmised that Brontoscorpio was aquatic. Unfortunately the only known part of this ancient scorpion is the pedipalp, and it is from comparison of this body part to other known specimens that the size estimate has … Read more
In Depth Attercopus was spider-like, but was not a true spider. Attercopus had a segmented tail and silk producing organs, but probably only used silk for constructing shelters and wrapping eggs, rather than constructing elaborate webs. Further Reading - New terrestrial arachnids from the Devonian of Gilboa, New York. - American Museum Novitates 2901: 1–74. … Read more
In Depth When it comes to the study of eurypterids, the type genus Eurypterus is the one you need to be most familiar with since the vast majority of known eurypterid fossils belong to this genus. It should be noted however that many of these fossils are of shed exoskeletons and that fossils of actual … Read more
In Depth Palaeophonus is one of the oldest known scorpions but there is uncertainty as to if it was fully terrestrial. Although the body seems to have been adapted for life on land, the respiratory openings usually seen in terrestrial scorpions have so far gone unobserved in Palaeophonus. Despite this uncertainty Palaeophonus seems to have … Read more
In Depth Gigantoscorpio is a genus of scorpion known to have lived in Scotland during the Carboniferous period. Because the genus is known only from partial remains, full details about its size and body proportions are currently unavailable. However, the genus has been occasionally estimated to have been as much as ninety centimetres long, which … Read more