| Drepanopterus Temporal range: Early Silurian - Late Devonian,
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| Drepanopterus pentlandicus fossil | |
Scientific classification 
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| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Subphylum: | Chelicerata |
| Order: | †Eurypterida |
| Suborder: | †Stylonurina |
| Superfamily: | †Mycteropoidea |
| Family: | †Drepanopteridae Kjellesvig-Waering, 1966 |
| Genus: | †Drepanopterus Laurie, 1892 |
| Species | |
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Drepanopterus is an extinct genus of eurypterid and the only member of the family Drepanopteridae within the Mycteropoidea superfamily. There are currently three species assigned to the genus. The genus has historically included more species, with nine species having been associated with the genus Drepanopterus. Five of these have since been proven to be synonyms of pre-existing species, assigned to their own genera, or found to be based on insubstantial fossil data. The holotype of one species proved to be a lithic clast.[1]
Drepanopterus pentlandicus was first described from the Silurian strata of the Pentland Hills in Scotland. The only other fully described valid species is Drepanopterus abonensis, from the Upper Devonian of Portishead, Somerset. The exact relationship of Drepanopterus to other eurypterids has long been unclear; however, it is now apparent that it is a primitive mycteropoid, and an early relative of the Carboniferous Hibbertopterus.
- ^ V. P. Tollerton (2003). "Summary of a revision of New York State Ordovician eurypterids: implications for eurypterid palaeoecology, diversity and evolution". Transactions of the Royal Society of Edinburgh: Earth Sciences. 94 (3): 235–242. doi:10.1017/S0263593303000154.