Eurypteroidea are an extinct superfamily of
eurypterid
Eurypterids, often informally called sea scorpions, are a group of extinct marine arthropods that form the Order (biology), order Eurypterida. The earliest known eurypterids date to the Darriwilian stage of the Ordovician period, 467.3 Myr, mil ...
s. It contains three families (
Dolichopteridae,
Eurypteridae,
Strobilopteridae) and two genera of uncertain classification, ''
Paraeurypterus'' and ''
Pentlandopterus''.
Description
Eurypteroidea, which lived from the
Ordovician
The Ordovician ( ) is a geologic period and System (geology), system, the second of six periods of the Paleozoic Era (geology), Era, and the second of twelve periods of the Phanerozoic Eon (geology), Eon. The Ordovician spans 41.6 million years f ...
to
Devonian
The Devonian ( ) is a period (geology), geologic period and system (stratigraphy), system of the Paleozoic era (geology), era during the Phanerozoic eon (geology), eon, spanning 60.3 million years from the end of the preceding Silurian per ...
periods, were characterized by their last pair of prosomal (head) appendages, which were developed as swimming legs, carrying paddles formed by the expansion of the two penultimate joints.
[ 1955. Merostomata. ''Treatise on Invertebrate Paleontology, Part P Arthropoda 2, Chelicerata'', P30. as Eurypteracea]
Families
*Order
Eurypterida
Eurypterids, often informally called sea scorpions, are a group of extinct marine arthropods that form the order Eurypterida. The earliest known eurypterids date to the Darriwilian stage of the Ordovician period, 467.3 million years ago. The ...
Burmeister, 1843
**Suborder
Eurypterina
Eurypterina is one of two suborders of eurypterids, an extinct group of chelicerate arthropods commonly known as "sea scorpions". Eurypterine eurypterids are sometimes informally known as "swimming eurypterids". They are known from fossil depos ...
Burmeister, 1845
***Superfamily Eurypteroidea
Burmeister, 1845
****Genus ''
Paraeurypterus''
Lamsdell, Hoşgör & Selden, 2013
****Genus ''
Pentlandopterus''
Lamsdell, Hoşgör & Selden, 2013
****Family
Dolichopteridae Kjellesvig-Waering & Størmer, 1952
****Family
Eurypteridae Burmeister, 1845
****Family
Strobilopteridae Lamsdell & Selden, 2013
References
Ordovician arthropods
Silurian animals
Devonian animals
Late Devonian animals
Carboniferous arthropods
Permian animals
Silurian first appearances
Permian extinctions
Chelicerate superfamilies
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