List of eurypterid genera

This list of eurypterid genera is a comprehensive listing of all genera that have ever been included in the order Eurypterida, excluding purely vernacular terms. The list includes all commonly accepted genera, but also genera that are now considered invalid, doubtful (nomen dubium), or were not formally published (nomen nudum), as well as junior synonyms of more established names and genera that are no longer considered eurypterids. The list currently includes 114 names out of which 73 are considered valid eurypterid genera.

Eurypterus, the most commonly found eurypterid fossil and the first eurypterid genus to be described.

There are approximately 250 species of eurypterids recognized as valid.[1]

Naming conventions and terminology

There is no "official" or "canonical" list of eurypterid genera. The closest thing is found contained in the regularly updated Summary list of fossil spiders and their relatives in the World Spider Catalog. The vast majority of the content of the list below, including the valid genera, preoccupied names, junior synonyms, taxonomical classifications and sites of discovery, is based upon the 2018 edition of the Summary list. Content not based on the list, such as genera described after its publication, is noted through inline citations.

Naming conventions and terminology follow the International Code of Zoological Nomenclature. Technical terms used include:

• Junior synonym: A name which describes the same taxon as a previously published name. If two or more genera are formally designated and the type specimens are later assigned to the same genus, the first to be published (in chronological order) is the senior synonym, and all other instances are junior synonyms. Senior synonyms are generally used, except by special decision of the ICZN, but junior synonyms cannot be used again, even if deprecated. Junior synonymy is often subjective, unless the genera described were both based on the same type specimen.
• Nomen nudum (Latin for "naked name"): A name that has appeared in print but has not yet been formally published by the standards of the ICZN. Nomina nuda (the plural form) are invalid, and are therefore not italicized as a proper generic name would be. If the name is later formally published, that name is no longer a nomen nudum and will be italicized on this list. Often, the formally published name will differ from any nomina nuda that describe the same specimen.
• Nomen manuscriptum (Latin for "manuscript name"): A name that appears in manuscript of a formal, but not-peer-reviewed, publication that has no scientific backing. A nomen manuscriptum is equivalent to a nomen nudum for everything except the method of publication, and description.
• Nomen oblitum (Latin for "forgotten name"): A name that has not been used in the scientific community for more than fifty years after its original proposal.
• Preoccupied name: A name that is formally published, but which has already been used for another taxon. This second use is invalid (as are all subsequent uses) and the name must be replaced. As preoccupied names are not valid generic names, they will also go unitalicized on this list.
• Nomen dubium (Latin for "dubious name"): A name describing a fossil with no unique diagnostic features.

Eurypterid genera

  Valid genus

  Dubious taxon, synonym, preoccupied name or informal name

  Missassigned genus

Genus Author(s) Year Status Age Location Notes Acanthoeurypterus Kjellesvig-Waering N/A Jr. synonym N/A N/A Nomen manuscriptum, also considered as a synonym of Eurypterus.[2] Acutiramus Ruedemann 1935 Valid Silurian - Devonian  Australia[3]  United States  Czech Republic  Canada Adelophthalmus Jordan 1854 Valid Devonian - Permian Nearly cosmopolitan, see article. Alkenopterus Størmer 1974 Valid Devonian  Germany Alloeurypterus Kjellesvig-Waering N/A Jr. synonym N/A N/A Nomen manuscriptum, also considered as a synonym of Eurypterus.[2] Angustidontus Cooper 1936 Misidentification[4] N/A N/A Misidentified, a crustacean. Anthraconectes Meek & Worthen 1868 Jr. synonym N/A N/A Synonym of Adelophthalmus. Baltoeurypterus Størmer 1973 Jr. synonym N/A N/A Synonym of Eurypterus. Bassipterus Kjellesvig-Waering & Leutze 1966 Valid Silurian  United States Belinuropsis Matthew 1910 Nomen dubium Carboniferous  Canada Too poorly preserved to be assigned to any particular arthropod group.[5] Bembicosoma Laurie 1899 Misidentification[6] N/A N/A Misidentified, a stem genus on Planaterga. Borchgrevinkium Novojilov 1959 Misidentification[1] N/A N/A Misidentified, possibly a stem prosomapod. Brachyopterella Kjellesvig-Waering 1966 Valid Silurian  Norway  Scotland Brachyopterus Størmer 1951 Valid Ordovician  Wales Bunodella Matthew 1889 Nomen dubium Silurian  Canada Uncertain affinities, probably synonym of Acutiramus.[7] Buffalopterus Kjellesvig-Waering & Heubusch 1962 Valid Silurian  United States Campylocephalus Eichwald 1860 Valid Carboniferous - Permian  Russia  Czech Republic Campylognathus Diener 1924 Preoccupied[8] N/A N/A Preoccupied by a genus of plant bugs, changed to Campylocephalus. Carcinosoma Claypole 1890 Valid Silurian  England  Canada  United States  Scotland Ciurcopterus Tetlie & Briggs 2009 Valid Silurian  United States Clarkeipterus Kjellesvig-Waering 1966 Valid Silurian  United States Clintonipterus Kjellesvig-Waering N/A Nomen nudum N/A N/A Informal name that only appears in notes in museum drawers.[9] Ctenopterus Clarke & Ruedemann 1912 Valid Silurian  United States Curviramus Ruedemann 1935 Jr. synonym N/A N/A Synonym of Pterygotus. Cyrtoctenus Størmer & Waterston 1968 Jr. synonym N/A N/A Synonym of Hibbertopterus.[10] Dolichocephala Claypole 1883 Preoccupied N/A N/A Preoccupied by a genus of flies, synonym of Hallipterus. Dolichopterus Hall 1859 Valid Silurian  United States  Sweden Dorfopterus Kjellesvig-Waering 1955 Valid Devonian  United States Drepanopterus Laurie 1892 Valid Silurian - Devonian  Scotland  England  Canada Dunsopterus Waterston 1968 Jr. synonym N/A N/A Synonym of Hibbertopterus.[11] Echinognathus Walcott 1882 Valid Ordovician  United States Eocarcinosoma Caster & Kjellesvig-Waering 1964 Valid Ordovician  United States Erettopterus Salter 1859 Valid Silurian - Devonian  Canada  England  Estonia  Norway  Scotland  Sweden  United States Erieopterus Kjellesvig-Waering 1958 Valid Silurian - Devonian  United States  Canada  Norway  Germany Eidothea Scouler 1831 Preoccupied[12] N/A N/A Preoccupied name, changed to Campylocephalus. Eurypterella Matthew 1888 Nomen dubium Carboniferous  Canada Too poorly preserved to be assigned to any particular arthropod group.[13] Eurypterus de Kay 1825 Valid Silurian  Norway  England  United States  Sweden  Estonia Eurysoma Claypole 1890 Preoccupied N/A N/A Preoccupied name, changed to Carcinosoma. Eusarcana Strand 1942 Valid Silurian - Devonian  Scotland  Czech Republic  United States Eusarcus Grote & Pitt 1875 Preoccupied N/A N/A Preoccupied name, changed to Eusarcana. Eysyslopterus Tetlie & Poschmann 2008 Valid Silurian  Estonia Glaucodes Pruvost 1923 Jr. synonym[14] N/A N/A Synonym of Mycterops. Glyptoscorpius Peach 1882 Jr. synonym N/A N/A Synonym of Adelophthalmus. Grossopterus Størmer 1934 Valid Devonian  Germany  Israel Hallipterus Kjellesvig-Waering 1963 Valid Devonian  United States Hardieopterus Waterston 1979 Valid Silurian  Scotland  England  United States Hastimima White 1908 Valid Permian  Brazil Herefordopterus Tetlie 2006 Valid Silurian  England Hibbertopterus Kjellesvig-Waering 1959 Valid Carboniferous  Belgium  Czech Republic  Ireland  Scotland  South Africa Himantopterus Salter 1856 Preoccupied[15] N/A N/A Unavailable junior homonym, replaced by name Erettopterus Holmipterus Kjellesvig-Waering 1979 Valid Silurian  Sweden Hughmilleria Sarle 1903 Valid Silurian  United States  China Jaekelopterus Waterston 1964 Valid Devonian  United States  Germany Kiaeropterus Waterston 1979 Valid Silurian  Norway  Scotland Kockurus Chlupáč 1995 Misidentification N/A N/A Misidentified, likely represents an aglaspidid. Kodymirus Chlupáč 1995 Misidentification N/A N/A Misidentified, likely represents an aglaspidid. Kokomopterus Kjellesvig-Waering 1966 Valid Silurian  United States Lanarkopterus Ritchie 1968 Valid Silurian  Scotland Lamontopterus Waterston 1979 Valid Silurian  Scotland Laurieipterus Kjellesvig-Waering 1966 Valid Silurian  Scotland Leiopterella Lamsdell, Braddy, Loeffler & Dineley 2010 Valid Devonian  Canada Lepidoderma Reuss 1855 Jr. synonym N/A N/A Synonym of Adelophthalmus. Marsupipterus Caster & Kjellesvig-Waering 1955 Valid Silurian  England Mazonipterus Kjellesvig-Waering 1963 Misidentification N/A N/A Misidentified, a plant. Megalograptus Miller 1874 Valid Ordovician  United States Megarachne Hünicken 1980 Valid Carboniferous - Permian  Argentina Melbournopterus Caster & Kjellesvig-Waering 1953 Misidentification N/A N/A Misidentified, a brachipod. Mixopterus Ruedemann 1921 Valid Silurian  Norway  Estonia  United States Moselopterus Størmer 1974 Valid Devonian  Germany  Latvia Mycterops Cope 1886 Valid Carboniferous  Scotland  Belgium  United States Nanahughmilleria Kjellesvig-Waering 1961 Valid Silurian - Devonian  England  Norway  Russia  Scotland  United States Necrogammarus Woodward 1870 Valid Silurian  England Onychopterella Størmer 1951 Valid Ordovician - Silurian  South Africa  United States Onychopterus Miller & Gurley 1896 Preoccupied[14] N/A N/A Preoccupied name, changed to Onychopterella. Orcanopterus Stott, Tetlie, Braddy, Nowlan, Glasser & Devereux 2005 Valid Ordovician  Canada Pagea Waterston 1962 Valid Devonian  Canada Paracarcinosoma Caster & Kjellesvig-Waering 1964 Jr. synonym N/A N/A Synonym of Eusarcana. Paraeurypterus Lamsdell, Hoşgör & Selden 2013 Valid Ordovician  Turkey Parahughmilleria Kjellesvig-Waering 1961 Valid Silurian - Devonian  Canada  England  Germany  Luxembourg  Russia  Scotland  United States Parastylonurus Kjellesvig-Waering 1966 Valid Silurian  Scotland  England Parka Fleming 1831 Misidentification[16] N/A N/A Misidentified, a plant. Pentecopterus[17] Lamsdell et al. 2015 Valid Ordovician  United States Pentlandopterus Lamsdell, Hoşgör & Selden 2013 Valid Ordovician  Scotland Pittsfordipterus Kjellesvig-Waering & Leutze 1966 Valid Silurian  United States Polystomurum[18] Novojilov 1958 Misidentification N/A N/A Misidentified, an unplaced euchelicerate.[1] Polyzosternites Goldenberg 1873 Jr. synonym N/A N/A Synonym of Adelophthalmus. Pterygotus Agassiz 1839 Valid Silurian - Devonian Nearly cosmopolitan, see article. Rhenopterus Størmer 1936 Valid Devonian  Germany Rhinocarcinosoma Novojilov 1962 Valid Silurian  United States  Vietnam Ruedemannipterus Kjellesvig-Waering 1966 Valid Silurian  United States Salteropterus Kjellesvig-Waering 1951 Valid Silurian  England Sidneyia Walcott 1911 Misidentification[19] N/A N/A Misidentified, an arachnomorph.[20] Slimonia Page 1856 Valid Silurian  England  Scotland  Bolivia Soligorskopterus[21] Plax et al. 2018 Valid Devonian  Belarus Stoermeropterus Lamsdell 2011 Valid Devonian  Norway  Scotland  United States Strabops Beecher 1901 Misidentification[22] N/A N/A Misidentified, a strabopid. Strobilopterus Ruedemann 1935 Valid Silurian - Devonian  Estonia  United States Stylonurella Kjellesvig-Waering 1966 Valid Silurian - Devonian  Scotland  United States Stylonuroides Kjellesvig-Waering 1966 Valid Silurian - Devonian  Norway  Russia Stylonurus Page 1856 Valid Devonian  Scotland  United States Syntomopterella Tellie 2007 Jr. synonym N/A N/A Synonym of Strobilopterus. Syntomopterus Kjellesvig-Waering 1961 Preoccupied N/A N/A Preoccupied name, changed to Strobilopterus. Tarsopterella Størmer 1951 Valid Devonian  Scotland Tarsopterus Clarke and Ruedemann 1912 Preoccupied[14] N/A N/A Preoccupied name, changed to Tarsopterella. Truncatiramus Kjellesvig-Waering 1961 Jr. synonym N/A N/A Synonym of Erettopterus. Tylopterella Størmer 1951 Valid Silurian  Canada Tylopterus Clarke and Ruedemann 1912 Preoccupied[14] N/A N/A Preoccupied name, changed to Tylopterella. Unionopterus Chernyshev 1948 Valid Carboniferous  Kazakhstan Vinetopterus Poschmann & Tellie 2004 Valid Devonian  Germany Vernonopterus Waterston 1968 Valid Carboniferous  Scotland Waeringopterus Leutze 1961 Valid Silurian  United States Wiedopterus[23] Poschmann 2015 Valid Devonian  Germany Willwerathia Størmer 1936 Misidentification[24] N/A N/A Misidentified, a xiphosuran. Woodwardopterus Kjellesvig-Waering 1959 Valid Carboniferous  Scotland		Acutiramus. Adelophthalmus. Brachyopterus. Campylocephalus. Carcinosoma. Ciurcopterus. Dolichopterus. Drepanopterus. Erettopterus. Eurypterus. Eusarcana. Herefordopterus. Hibbertopterus. Hughmilleria. Jaekelopterus. Kokomopterus. Laurieipterus. Megalograptus. Megarachne. Mixopterus. Nanahughmilleria. Onychopterella. Orcanopterus. Pentecopterus. Pterygotus. Slimonia. Stoermeropterus. Strobilopterus. Stylonurus.

Eurypterid ichnogenera

Genus Author(s) Year Status Age Location Notes Arcuites[25] Vrazo & Ciurca 2017 Valid Silurian  Canada  United States Merostomichnites[26] Packard 1900 Valid Ordovician - Silurian  Norway  Portugal Merostomichnites tracks in Norway were likely made by the genus Mixopterus. Palmichnium[27] Richter 1954 Valid Devonian - Carboniferous  Australia  Canada  United States  Wales

See also

• List of xiphosuran genera
• List of trilobite genera
• List of ammonite genera
• List of prehistoric malacostracans

References

General

• Dunlop, J. A., Penney, D. & Jekel, D. 2018. A summary list of fossil spiders and their relatives. In World Spider Catalog. Natural History Museum Bern.

Citations

1. Dunlop, J. A., Penney, D. & Jekel, D. 2018. A summary list of fossil spiders and their relatives. In World Spider Catalog. Natural History Museum Bern
2. O. Erik Tetlie (2006). "Two new Silurian species of Eurypterus (Chelicerata: Eurypterida) from Norway and Canada and the phylogeny of the genus" (PDF). Journal of Systematic Palaeontology. 4 (4): 397–412. doi:10.1017/S1477201906001921. ISSN 1478-0941. Retrieved May 20, 2011.
3. Bicknell, Russell D. C.; Smith, Patrick M.; Poschmann, Markus (2020). "Re-evaluating evidence of Australian eurypterids". Gondwana Research. 86: 164–181. doi:10.1016/j.gr.2020.06.002.
4. Rolfe, William; Dzik, Jerzy (2006-12-01). "Angustidontus, a Late Devonian pelagic predatory crustacean". Transactions: Earth Sciences. 97: 75–96. doi:10.1017/S0263593300001413.
5. Miller, Randall F. (1995-08-01). "The status of Belinuropsis wigudensis Matthew, 1910, a Pennsylvanian merostome from New Brunswick, Canada". Atlantic Geology. 31 (2). ISSN 1718-7885.
6. Anderson, Lyall I.; Moore, Rachel A. (2003). "Bembicosoma re-examined: a xiphosuran from the Silurian of the North Esk Inlier, Pentland Hills, Scotland". Transactions of the Royal Society of Edinburgh: Earth Sciences. 94 (3): 199–206. doi:10.1017/S0263593300000614.
7. Miller, Randall F.; Tetlie, O. Erik (2007). "The presumed Synziphosuran Bunodella horrida Matthew, 1889 (Silurian; Cunningham Creek Formation, New Brunswick, Canada) is a eurypterid". Journal of Paleontology. 81 (3): 588–590. doi:10.1666/05127.1.
8. Waterston, Charles D. (1958). "XII.—The Scottish Carboniferous Eurypterida". Transactions of the Royal Society of Edinburgh. 63 (2): 265–288. doi:10.1017/S0080456800009492.
9. Tetlie, Odd Erik (2004). Eurypterid phylogeny with remarks on the origin of arachnids (PhD). University of Bristol. pp. 1–344.
10. Hughes, Emily Samantha. "Discerning the diets of sweep-feeding eurypterids through analyses of mesh-modified appendage armature". Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports: 1–61.
11. Hughes, Emily Samantha (2019). "Discerning the diets of sweep-feeding eurypterids through analyses of mesh-modified appendage armature". Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports: 1–61.
12. "†Eurypterida". www.helsinki.fi. Retrieved 2018-01-14.
13. Dunlop, Jason A.; Miller, Randall F. (2007-10-16). "The fossil arachnid genus Eurymartus MATTHEW, 1895 and the eurypterid genus Eurypterella MATTHEW, 1889 from the Late Carboniferous". Neues Jahrbuch für Geologie und Paläontologie - Abhandlungen. 245 (3): 295–300. doi:10.1127/0077-7749/2007/0245-0295.
14. Stoermer, Leif. "A new eurypterid from the Ordovician of Montgomeryshire, Wales." Geological Magazine; November 1951; v. 88; no. 6; p. 409-422.
15. Nomenclator Zoologicus
16. Niklas, Karl J. (1976). "Morphological and Ontogenetic Reconstructions of Parka decipiens Fleming and Pachytheca Hooker from the Lower Old Red Sandstone, Scotland". Transactions of the Royal Society of Edinburgh. 69 (21): 483–499. doi:10.1017/S0080456800015507.
17. Lamsdell, James C.; Briggs, Derek E. G.; Liu, Huaibao P.; Witzke, Brian J.; McKay, Robert M. (2015-09-01). "The oldest described eurypterid: a giant Middle Ordovician (Darriwilian) megalograptid from the Winneshiek Lagerstätte of Iowa". BMC Evolutionary Biology. 15: 169. doi:10.1186/s12862-015-0443-9. ISSN 1471-2148. PMC 4556007. PMID 26324341.
18. Novojilov, N. (1958). Aleksandr Grigorevich Sharov (ed.). Polystomurum strømeri new genus and species of Eurypterida from the Devonian of the region of Voronell. Mat. Princip. Paleont. (Moscow). 2. pp. 47–50.
19. Walcott, Charles Doolittle (1911). "Cambrian Geology and Paleontology". Smithsonian Miscellaneous Collections. 57 (2): 17–40.
20. Zhang, Xingliang; Han, Jian; Shu, Degan (2002). "New occurrence of the Burgess Shale arthropod Sidneyia in the Early Cambrian Chengjiang Lagerstätte (South China), and revision of the arthropod Urokodia". Alcheringa: An Australasian Journal of Palaeontology. 26 (1): 1–8. doi:10.1080/03115510208619239.
21. Plax, Dmitry P.; Lamsdell, James C.; Vrazo, Matthew B.; Barbikov, Dmitry V. (2018). "A new genus of eurypterid (Chelicerata, Eurypterida) from the Upper Devonian salt deposits of Belarus". Journal of Paleontology. 92 (5): 838–849. doi:10.1017/jpa.2018.11.
22. Hou, X.-G; Bergström, J (1997-12-22). "Arthropods of the Lower Cambrian Chengjiang fauna, southwest China". Fossils and Strata. 45: 1–116.
23. Poschmann, Markus (2015-12-01). "Sea scorpions (Chelicerata, Eurypterida) from the Lower Devonian (Siegenian) of the Lahrbach Valley/Westerwald area (SW Germany, Rhineland-Palatinate)". Paläontologische Zeitschrift. 89 (4): 783–793. doi:10.1007/s12542-015-0261-9. ISSN 0031-0220.
24. Anderson, Lyall I.; Poschmann, Markus; Brauckmann, Carsten (1998-11-01). "On the Emsian (Lower Devonian) arthropods of the Rhenish Slate Mountains: 2. The synziphosurine Willwerathia". Paläontologische Zeitschrift. 72 (3–4): 325–336. doi:10.1007/BF02988363. ISSN 0031-0220.
25. Vrazo, Matthew B.; Ciurca, Samuel J. (2018). "New trace fossil evidence for eurypterid swimming behaviour". Palaeontology. 61 (2): 235–252. doi:10.1111/pala.12336. ISSN 1475-4983.
26. Hanken, N.-M. & Størmer, L. (1975): "The trail of a large Silurian eurypterid". Fossils and Strata, No. 4, pp. 255-270, Pl. 1 -3.
27. Adolf Seilacher (2007). "Arthropod trackways". Trace Fossil Analysis. Springer. pp. 18–31. ISBN 978-3-540-47225-4.