Pulmonoscorpius

Pulmonoscorpius
Temporal range: Mississippian (Viséan to Serpukhovian), 336–326.4 Ma
Reconstruction of Pulmonoscorpius kirktonensis
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Subphylum: Chelicerata
Class: Arachnida
Order: Scorpiones
Family: †Centromachidae
Genus: †Pulmonoscorpius
Jeram, 1994
Species:
†P. kirktonensis
Binomial name
†Pulmonoscorpius kirktonensis
Jeram, 1994

Pulmonoscorpius is an extinct genus of scorpion from the Mississippian (Early Carboniferous) of Scotland. It contains a single named species, Pulmonoscorpius kirktonensis. It was one of the largest scorpions to have ever lived, with the largest known individual having an estimated length exceeding 70 cm (28 inches). Pulmonoscorpius retains several general arthropod features which are absent in modern scorpions, such as large lateral eyes and a lack of adaptations for a burrowing lifestyle. It was likely an active diurnal predator, and the presence of book lungs indicate that it was fully terrestrial.[1][2]

  1. ^ Cite error: The named reference Jeram fossils 1993 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  2. ^ Jeram, Andrew J. (1998). "Phylogeny, classification and evolution of Silurian and Devonian scorpions". In Selden, Paul A. (ed.). Proceedings of the 17th European Colloquium of Arachnology, Edinburgh 1997 (PDF). British Arachnological Society. pp. 17–31. ISBN 0-9500093-2-6. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2011-07-25.