Wiedopterus
Wiedopterus | |
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Illustration of PWL2013/5224-LS, the type specimen of W. noctua | |
Scientific classification | |
Kingdom: | |
Phylum: | |
Subphylum: | |
Order: | †
Eurypterida |
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Family: | |
Genus: | †Wiedopterus Poschmann, 2015
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Type species | |
†Wiedopterus noctua Poschmann, 2015
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Wiedopterus is a genus of
A small eurypterid, the type and only known specimen of Wiedopterus does not preserve the appendages or the underside of the body, making certain classification of the genus impossible. As such, it is formally classified as Eurypterina incertae sedis (indicating uncertain placement within the Eurypterina suborder of eurypterids). Though not yet formally classified as such, Wiedopterus was suggested to probably belong to the Adelophthalmidae family on account of various features, including its general body outline, the position of its eyes, the first segment after its head being reduced in size as well as there being longitudinal ridges on the posterior segments of its body.
Description
Markus Poschmann, who described Wiedopterus, classified the genus as
The diagnostic features of the genus, as noted by Poschmann in its description, include the
History of research
Wiedopterus noctua was described by Poschmann in 2015 based on a single specimen recovered in fossil deposits of Early Devonian, probably Emsian, age. The fossil locality, part of the Rhenish Massif, is a wayside outcrop located next to a bus stop, about 500 meters north of the village Bürdenbach and 90 meters northeast of the confluence of the small creek Güllesheimer Bach and the Lahrbach river.[1]
The Wiedopterus type specimen, given the designation PWL2013/5224-LS, preserves the carapace and the first to ninth segment of the opisthosoma, though these are somewhat damaged on the right side. PWL2013/5224-LS was noted by Poschmann to not be the only eurypterid fossil clearly distinguishable from the other eurypterids found at the site, belonging to the genus
Classification
Wiedopterus is different from other known Early Devonian eurypterids when it comes to the position of its compound eyes and the shape of its carapace. Moselopterus, Alkenopterus, Vinetopterus and Erieopterus are superficially similar, but Moselopterus, Alkenopterus and Vinetopterus all have a more horseshoe-shaped carapace, with the carapace of Moselopterus also has distinct ornamentation, missing in Wiedopterus, and Alkenopterus and Vinetopterus have wider and differently shaped, respectively, marginal rims. Erieopterus has a more rounded carapace, with the eyes positioned more outwardly. The shape and eye position is also similar to the Silurian Eurypterus (though the carapace of Eurypterus is slightly more quadratic, the eyes are positioned further back and its first opisthosomal tergite is not as small), the Silurian Buffalopterus and the Silurian–Devonian Strobilopterus (though Buffalopterus and Strobilopterus have a wider carapace and eyes positioned further back).[1]
Among the Early Devonian eurypterids, the only species that has a carapace shape similar to Wiedopterus, beyond just superficial similarity, is
Paleoecology
The fossil deposits in which the Wiedopterus type specimen was found were once a land–sea transitional area, featuring rivers,
See also
References
- ^ S2CID 128555537.
- .
- S2CID 91741388.
- PMID 26324341.
- ^ "Güllesheimer Bach, Bürdenbach, Westerwald (Mainz collection) (Devonian of Germany)". The Paleobiology Database. Retrieved 1 August 2021.