Harman Patil (Editor)

Megalograptidae

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Kingdom
  
Animalia

Subphylum
  
Chelicerata

Suborder
  
†Eurypterina

Higher classification
  
Eurypterid

Phylum
  
Arthropoda

Order
  
†Eurypterida

Superfamily
  
†Megalograptoidea

Rank
  
Family

Similar
  
Eurypterid, Arthropod, Chelicerata, Mixopteridae, Stylonuridae

Megalograptidae is an extinct family of eurypterids.

Contents

Description

Megalograptids are characterized by large exoskeletons with ovate to triangular scales. The prosoma (head) is subquadrate, with a tonguelike anterior process bearing marginal spines, and compound eyes on the top front of the head. The chelicerae (claws in front of the mouth) are small and short. The first and third pairs of walking legs are short, with diverging or closely spaced spines. The second pair of walking legs is enormously developed, with long paired spines. The fourth pair of walking legs are nearly spineless. The preabdomen, the front portion of the body, is narrow with axial furrows, while the postabdomen is moderately narrow with broad, flat and curved appendages on the last body segment. The telson is short and lanceolate.

Genera

  • Class Merostomata Dana, 1852
  • Order Eurypterida Burmeister, 1843
  • Suborder Eurypterina Burmeister, 1845
  • Superfamily Megalograptoidea Caster & Kjellesvig-Waering, 1955 Family Megalograptidae Caster & Kjellesvig-Waering, 1955 Genus Megalograptus Miller, 1874 Megalograptus alveolatus (Shuler, 1915) Megalograptus ohioensis Caster & Kjellesvig-Waering, 1955 Megalograptus shideleri Caster & Kjellesvig-Waering, 1964 Megalograptus welchi Miller, 1874 Megalograptus williamsae Caster & Kjellesvig-Waering, 1964 Genus Echinognathus Walcott, 1882 Echinognathus clevelandi Walcott, 1882 Genus Pentecopterus Lamsdell, James C et al., 2015 Pentecopterus decorahensis Lamsdell, James C et al., 2015

    • References

    Megalograptidae Wikipedia
    (Text) CC BY-SA