Graeophonus
Encyclopedia
Graeophonus is an extinct genus of tailless whip scorpion
described from three species found in the Carboniferous
fossil record. The genus is known from two, or possibly three, species described from North America
and England
. Graeophonus is related to the modern African genus Paracharon and has been placed in the same family, Paracharontidae.
area was interpreted as a fossil dragonfly larvae and described by Samuel Hubbard Scudder
in 1876 as Libellula carbonaria. The fossil was very incomplete, consisting of a solitary opisthosoma
. With the discovery of more complete fossils from Mazon Creek, Illinois
, and Joggins, Nova Scotia
, Samuel Scudder redescribed the fossils as amblypygids and moved the species to a new genus, Graeophonus as Graeophonus carbonarius. While describing the British species, Graeophonus anglicus, Reginald Innes Pocock
noted significant differences between the Nova Scotian and more complete Mazon Creek fossils. As a result he erected the species Graeophonus scudderi to accommodate the Mazon Creek specimen, and restricted species G. carbonarius to the Canadian specimens. It was later suggested by Reginald Pocock in 1913 that the two species, G. carbonarius and G. scudderi were indeed the same, and this has resulted in confusion over both the name to be used and number of species present in North America.
Graeophonus anglicus has been found in the English Middle Coal Measures
of Coseley
, Staffordshire
. Known from ten specimens that are now deposited in the British Museum
, the species was named by Reginald Pocock in 1911. The size of more complete G. anglicus specimens ranges from 11–13 mm (0.433070866141732–0.511811023622047 in). The type specimen, BMNH In 31233, was recovered from the Claycroft Open Works in Coseley. The partly complete 18 millimetre (0.708661417322835 in) long specimen shows a distinct pear-shaped ocular tubercle
on the carapace
, indicating the species was not blind.
The morphology of both the abdomen and pedipalp
s in Graeophonus is very similar to the modern genus Paracharon. While Paracharon is notably blind, this is though to be a secondary result of living almost exclusively within termite mounds. Thus the blindness was not considered a reason to exclude Graeophonus from Paracharontidae.
Amblypygid
Amblypygi is an order of invertebrate animals belonging to the class Arachnida, in the subphylum Chelicerata of the phylum Arthropoda. They form a separate order of arachnids alongside the spiders, scorpions and others....
described from three species found in the Carboniferous
Carboniferous
The Carboniferous is a geologic period and system that extends from the end of the Devonian Period, about 359.2 ± 2.5 Mya , to the beginning of the Permian Period, about 299.0 ± 0.8 Mya . The name is derived from the Latin word for coal, carbo. Carboniferous means "coal-bearing"...
fossil record. The genus is known from two, or possibly three, species described from North America
North America
North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
and England
England
England 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...
. Graeophonus is related to the modern African genus Paracharon and has been placed in the same family, Paracharontidae.
Description
A single fossil from the Cape Breton, Nova ScotiaCape Breton (Nova Scotia)
This article is about the headland. For other uses, see Cape Breton .This article is about the headland. For other uses, see Cape Breton .This article is about the headland...
area was interpreted as a fossil dragonfly larvae and described by Samuel Hubbard Scudder
Samuel Hubbard Scudder
Samuel Hubbard Scudder was an American entomologist and palaeontologist.Born in Boston, Massachusetts, Scudder may be most widely known for his essay on the importance of first-hand, careful observation in the natural sciences...
in 1876 as Libellula carbonaria. The fossil was very incomplete, consisting of a solitary opisthosoma
Opisthosoma
The opisthosoma is the posterior part of the body in some arthropods, behind the prosoma . It is a distinctive feature of the subphylum Chelicerata...
. With the discovery of more complete fossils from Mazon Creek, Illinois
Mazon Creek fossil beds
The Mazon Creek fossil beds are a conservation found near Morris, in Grundy County, Illinois. The fossil beds are located in ironstone concretions, formed approximately in the mid-Pennsylvanian epoch of the Carboniferous period...
, and Joggins, Nova Scotia
Joggins, Nova Scotia
Joggins is a Canadian rural community located in western Cumberland County, Nova Scotia. On July 7, 2008 a 15 km length of the coast constituting the Joggins Fossil Cliffs was officially inscribed on the World Heritage List.- History :...
, Samuel Scudder redescribed the fossils as amblypygids and moved the species to a new genus, Graeophonus as Graeophonus carbonarius. While describing the British species, Graeophonus anglicus, Reginald Innes Pocock
Reginald Innes Pocock
Reginald Innes Pocock F.R.S. was a British zoologist.Pocock was born in Clifton, Bristol, the fourth son of Rev. Nicholas Pocock and Edith Prichard. He began showing interest in natural history at St. Edward's School, Oxford. He received tutoring in zoology from Sir Edward Poulton, and was allowed...
noted significant differences between the Nova Scotian and more complete Mazon Creek fossils. As a result he erected the species Graeophonus scudderi to accommodate the Mazon Creek specimen, and restricted species G. carbonarius to the Canadian specimens. It was later suggested by Reginald Pocock in 1913 that the two species, G. carbonarius and G. scudderi were indeed the same, and this has resulted in confusion over both the name to be used and number of species present in North America.
Graeophonus anglicus has been found in the English Middle Coal Measures
Coal Measures
The Coal Measures is a lithostratigraphical term for the coal-bearing part of the Upper Carboniferous System. It represents the remains of fluvio-deltaic sediment, and consists mainly of clastic rocks interstratified with the beds of coal...
of Coseley
Coseley
Coseley is a town located mostly within the Metropolitan Borough of Dudley in the English West Midlands. Part of the Black Country, it lies south east of Wolverhampton and north of Dudley....
, Staffordshire
Staffordshire
Staffordshire is a landlocked county in the West Midlands region of England. For Eurostat purposes, the county is a NUTS 3 region and is one of four counties or unitary districts that comprise the "Shropshire and Staffordshire" NUTS 2 region. Part of the National Forest lies within its borders...
. Known from ten specimens that are now deposited in the British Museum
British Museum
The British Museum is a museum of human history and culture in London. Its collections, which number more than seven million objects, are amongst the largest and most comprehensive in the world and originate from all continents, illustrating and documenting the story of human culture from its...
, the species was named by Reginald Pocock in 1911. The size of more complete G. anglicus specimens ranges from 11–13 mm (0.433070866141732–0.511811023622047 in). The type specimen, BMNH In 31233, was recovered from the Claycroft Open Works in Coseley. The partly complete 18 millimetre (0.708661417322835 in) long specimen shows a distinct pear-shaped ocular tubercle
Tubercle
A tubercle is generally a wart-like projection, but it has slightly different meaning depending on which family of plants or animals it is used to refer to....
on the carapace
Carapace
A carapace is a dorsal section of the exoskeleton or shell in a number of animal groups, including arthropods such as crustaceans and arachnids, as well as vertebrates such as turtles and tortoises. In turtles and tortoises, the underside is called the plastron.-Crustaceans:In crustaceans, the...
, indicating the species was not blind.
The morphology of both the abdomen and pedipalp
Pedipalp
Pedipalps , are the second pair of appendages of the prosoma in the subphylum Chelicerata. They are traditionally thought to be homologous with mandibles in Crustacea and insects, although more recent studies Pedipalps (commonly shortened to palps or palpi), are the second pair of appendages of the...
s in Graeophonus is very similar to the modern genus Paracharon. While Paracharon is notably blind, this is though to be a secondary result of living almost exclusively within termite mounds. Thus the blindness was not considered a reason to exclude Graeophonus from Paracharontidae.
Further reading
- Dunlop, J.A. (1994). An Upper Carboniferous amblypygid from the Writhlington Geological Nature Reserve. Proceedings of the Geologists' Association 105:245-250.