Rhenopteridae
| Rhenopteridae Temporal range: Lower Devonian | |
|---|---|
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Subphylum: | Chelicerata |
| Class: | Merostomata |
| Order: | †Eurypterida |
| Suborder: | †Stylonurina |
| Superfamily: | †Rhenopteroidea |
| Family: | †Rhenopteridae Størmer, 1951 |
| Type genus | |
| Rhenopterus Størmer, 1936 | |
| Genera | |
| |
Rhenopteridae are an extinct family of prehistoric eurypterids that lived in the Lower Devonian period in Europe and possibly North America.
Description
Rhenopterids were small, characterized by scattered tubercules and knobs on the outer surface of the exoskeleton. Their first two (or possibly three) pairs of walking legs had spines; the last two pairs were long and powerful, without spines. The prosoma (head) was subtrapezoidal, with arcuate compound eyes on parallel axes. The male genital appendages were short with two distal spines.[1]
References
- ↑ Størmer, L 1955. Merostomata. Treatise on Invertebrate Paleontology, Part P Arthropoda 2, Chelicerata, P39.
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