Proscorpius

Proscorpius (meaning 'dawn scorpion') is an extinct genus of proscorpiid scorpion that was originally thought to have been a eurypterid. Proscorpius lived during the Silurian and Devonian periods (about 430-418 ma). The type and only species, Proscorpius osborni is currently the world's oldest scorpion. It was discovered in the Lagerstätte Bertie Formation; an epifaunal stratum of New York.[2] The fossil measures roughly 3.8cm (1.5 inches) in length, however, it is missing part of the tail, so in life the animal would be slightly longer.[3]

Proscorpius
Temporal range: Wenlock–Early Devonian
Drawing of the type specimen.
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Subphylum: Chelicerata
Class: Arachnida
Order: Scorpiones
Family: †Proscorpiidae
Genus: †Proscorpius
Whitfield, 1885[1]
Type species
†Proscorpius osborni
(Whitfield, 1885)[1]
Synonyms
  • Archaeophonus Kjellesvig-Waering, 1966
  • Stoermeroscorpio Kjellesvig-Waering, 1966

See also

References
  1. Dunlop, J. A.; Penney, D. & Jekel, D. (2019), "A summary list of fossil spiders and their relatives (version 20)" (PDF), World Spider Catalog, Natural History Museum Bern, retrieved 2019-07-22
  2. Andrew Jeram (June 16, 1990). "When scorpions ruled the world". New Scientist.
  3. Whitfield, R. P. (31 July 1885). "An American Silurian Scorpion". Science. ns-6 (130): 87–88. doi:10.1126/science.ns-6.130.87. ISSN 0036-8075. PMID 17808848.
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