Brontoscorpio

Brontoscorpio is a genus of fossil scorpion. Remains of the only known species, Brontoscorpio anglicus, were discovered in Lower Devonian[1][2]-aged sandstone from Trimpley, Worcestershire.[3] The species was described on the basis of an incomplete single free finger of a right pedipalp (In31405), almost 10 centimetres (3.9 in) long.[3][4] The complete animal is estimated to have been at least 90 centimetres (3 ft) long.[3] The species is characterized by the presence of single condyle and row of thick tubercles on the pedipalp free finger.[3]

Brontoscorpio
Temporal range: 416–412.3 Ma
↓
Size estimation of Brontoscorpio anglicus, with the only evident region (free finger of right pedipalp) highlighted in dark grey.
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Subphylum: Chelicerata
Class: Arachnida
Order: Scorpiones
Family: incertae sedis
Genus: †Brontoscorpio
Kjellesvig-Waering, 1972
Species:
†B. anglicus
Binomial name
†Brontoscorpio anglicus
Kjellesvig-Waering, 1972

The remains were found in terrestrial sediments, but it is believed, that due to its size, Brontoscorpio had to enter the water to molt. Possibly it lived a semi or fully aquatic life.[5]

References
  1. "Fossilworks: Brontoscorpio". fossilworks.org. Retrieved 2021-01-24.
  2. Dunlop, J. A., Penney, D. & Jekel, D. 2020. A summary list of fossil spiders and their relatives. In World Spider Catalog. Natural History Museum Bern, online at http://wsc.nmbe.ch, version 20.5
  3. Kjellesvig-Waering, Erik N. (1972). "Brontoscorpio anglicus: a gigantic Lower Paleozoic scorpion from central England". Journal of Paleontology. 46 (1): 39–42. JSTOR 1302906.
  4. Jeram, Andrew J. "Phylogeny, classification and evolution of Silurian and Devonian scorpions". In Selden, Paul A. (ed.). Proceedings of the 17th European Colloquium of Arachnology, Edinburgh 1997, 1998 (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2011-07-25. Retrieved 2011-04-05.
  5. The Biology of scorpions. Polis, Gary A., 1946-. Stanford, Calif.: Stanford University Press. 1990. ISBN 0804712492. OCLC 18991506.CS1 maint: others (link)


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