Eophrynus
Encyclopedia
Eophrynus is an extinct genus of arachnid
s from the trigonotarbid group, which lived during the Late Carboniferous period in Europe. The genus was first described in 1871 by Henry Woodward (geologist)
. The name comes from Eo, meaning 'dawn', and Phrynus, a genus of living whip spider (Amblypygi).
Two species have been recognised:
Eophrynus were similar to modern spiders but could not produce silk and the back-half of their body was made up of small plates.
The English species, E. prestvici, is known from a handful of good quality fossils preserved inside siderite
concrections. Recent x-ray
imaging revealed that these arachnids were covered by protective spikes.
Arachnid
Arachnids are a class of joint-legged invertebrate animals in the subphylum Chelicerata. All arachnids have eight legs, although in some species the front pair may convert to a sensory function. The term is derived from the Greek words , meaning "spider".Almost all extant arachnids are terrestrial...
s from the trigonotarbid group, which lived during the Late Carboniferous period in Europe. The genus was first described in 1871 by Henry Woodward (geologist)
Henry Woodward (geologist)
Henry Bolingbroke Woodward was an English geologist.He became assistant in the geological department of the British Museum in 1858, and in 1880 keeper of that department. He became FRS in 1873, LL.D in 1878, president of the Geological Society of London...
. The name comes from Eo, meaning 'dawn', and Phrynus, a genus of living whip spider (Amblypygi).
Two species have been recognised:
- E. prestviciiEophrynus prestviciiEophrynus prestvicii was a species of trigonotarbid. Scientists at Imperial College London created a detailed 3D computer model of the arachnid from fossils....
in EnglandEnglandEngland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental... - E. udus in GermanyGermanyGermany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
Eophrynus were similar to modern spiders but could not produce silk and the back-half of their body was made up of small plates.
The English species, E. prestvici, is known from a handful of good quality fossils preserved inside siderite
Siderite
Siderite is a mineral composed of iron carbonate FeCO3. It takes its name from the Greek word σίδηρος sideros, “iron”. It is a valuable iron mineral, since it is 48% iron and contains no sulfur or phosphorus...
concrections. Recent x-ray
X-ray
X-radiation is a form of electromagnetic radiation. X-rays have a wavelength in the range of 0.01 to 10 nanometers, corresponding to frequencies in the range 30 petahertz to 30 exahertz and energies in the range 120 eV to 120 keV. They are shorter in wavelength than UV rays and longer than gamma...
imaging revealed that these arachnids were covered by protective spikes.