Brachyopterus

Brachyopterus
Temporal range: Middle Ordovician, 460 Ma
Reconstruction of Brachyopterus stubblefieldi
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Subphylum: Chelicerata
Order: Eurypterida
Superfamily: Rhenopteroidea
Family: Rhenopteridae
Genus: Brachyopterus
Størmer, 1951
Type species
Brachyopterus stubblefieldi
Størmer, 1951

Brachyopterus is a genus of prehistoric eurypterid of the family Rhenopteridae. It is one of the earliest known eurypterids,[1] having been recovered from Middle Ordovician deposits in Montgomeryshire, Wales.[2] Though other species have been assigned to it in the past, Brachyopterus is today recognized as containing one valid species, B. stubblefieldi.[2]

  1. ^ James C. Lamsdell, Simon J. Braddy & O. Erik Tetlie (2010). "The systematics and phylogeny of the Stylonurina (Arthropoda: Chelicerata: Eurypterida)". Journal of Systematic Palaeontology. 8 (1): 49–61. doi:10.1080/14772011003603564.
  2. ^ a b Dunlop, J. A., Penney, D. & Jekel, D. 2015. A summary list of fossil spiders and their relatives. In World Spider Catalog. Natural History Museum Bern, online at http://wsc.nmbe.ch , version 16.0 http://www.wsc.nmbe.ch/resources/fossils/Fossils16.0.pdf (PDF).