Uintascorpio
Encyclopedia
Uintascorpio is an extinct genus
of scorpion
in the family Buthidae
and containing the single
species Uintascorpio halandrasorum. The species is known only from the Middle Eocene Parachute Member, part of the Green River Formation
, in the Piceance Creek Basin, Garfield County
, northwestern Colorado
, USA.
, specimen number "DMNH No. 6004". The specimen is composed of a single entire adult that is preserved as a compression fossil
in finely bedded, light gray shale
. The fossil was recovered by Gus and Christine Halandras of Meeker, Colorado
from outcrops of the Green River Formation
s Parachute Member exposing sediments of Lake Unitah, Rio Blanco County, Colorado
, USA. The type specimen is currently preserved in the paleoentomology collections housed in the Denver Museum of Nature and Science
, located in Denver, Colorado, USA. Uintascorpio was first studied by M. L. Perry with his 1995 brief description type description of the genus and species being published in a Grand Junction Geological Society publication. The generic
name was coined by Perry as a combination of the Latin "scorpio" for scorpion, and "Uintah" referring to Lake Uintah of the Green River Formation. The etymology
of the specific epithet
halandrasorum is in recognition of Gus and Christine Halandras. The species name was originally spelled halandrasi by Perry, however, per the naming regulations in the International Code of Zoological Nomenclature
, the species name was corrected to halandrasorum in the 2004 redescription of Uintascorpio.
When Uintascorpio halandrasorum was described, Perry placed the genus tentatively into the family Vaejovidae
. This placement was not followed, however by later authors who mentioned the genus. The genus was suggested to be a member of Buthidae in a 1998 by Kovařík and possibly a synonym of the modern genus Rhopalurus. Papers in 2001 and 2003 left the genus as "Orthosternina incertae sedis" due to the limited nature of the type description and its illustrations. The Uintascorpio halandrasorum was redescribed in 2004 by Jorge Santiago-Blay, Michael Soleglad, and Victor Fet. In the redescription the placement of Uintascorpio into Buthidae was confirmed, but the synonymy with Rhopalurus as suggested by Kovařík was not.
of brown tones, with the main carapace, mesosoma
, and metasoma
being a slightly darker tone than the pedipalps and legs. The tips of the cheliceral fingers are a dark brown, as is the articulation mechanism on patellae of leg IV.
Genus
In biology, a genus is a low-level taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms, which is an example of definition by genus and differentia...
of scorpion
Scorpion
Scorpions are predatory arthropod animals of the order Scorpiones within the class Arachnida. They have eight legs and are easily recognized by the pair of grasping claws and the narrow, segmented tail, often carried in a characteristic forward curve over the back, ending with a venomous stinger...
in the family Buthidae
Buthidae
Buthidae is the largest family of scorpions, containing about 80 genera and over 800 species as of mid-2008. Its members are known as, for example, thick-tailed scorpions and bark scorpions. There are a few very large genera , but also a high number of species-poor or monotypic ones...
and containing the single
Monotypic
In biology, a monotypic taxon is a taxonomic group with only one biological type. The term's usage differs slightly between botany and zoology. The term monotypic has a separate use in conservation biology, monotypic habitat, regarding species habitat conversion eliminating biodiversity and...
species Uintascorpio halandrasorum. The species is known only from the Middle Eocene Parachute Member, part of the Green River Formation
Green River Formation
The Green River Formation is an Eocene geologic formation that records the sedimentation in a group of intermountain lakes. The sediments are deposited in very fine layers, a dark layer during the growing season and a light-hue inorganic layer in winter. Each pair of layers is called a varve and...
, in the Piceance Creek Basin, Garfield County
Garfield County, Colorado
Garfield County is the eighth most extensive and the twelfth most populous of the 64 counties of the State of Colorado of the United States. The county population was 43,791 at U.S. Census 2000. The county is named in honor of United States President James A. Garfield...
, northwestern Colorado
Colorado
Colorado is a U.S. state that encompasses much of the Rocky Mountains as well as the northeastern portion of the Colorado Plateau and the western edge of the Great Plains...
, USA.
History and classification
Uintascorpio halandrasorum is known only from one fossil, the holotypeHolotype
A holotype is a single physical example of an organism, known to have been used when the species was formally described. It is either the single such physical example or one of several such, but explicitly designated as the holotype...
, specimen number "DMNH No. 6004". The specimen is composed of a single entire adult that is preserved as a compression fossil
Compression fossil
A compression fossil is a fossil preserved in sedimentary rock that has undergone physical compression. While it is uncommon to find animals preserved as good compression fossils, it is very common to find plants preserved this way...
in finely bedded, light gray shale
Shale
Shale is a fine-grained, clastic sedimentary rock composed of mud that is a mix of flakes of clay minerals and tiny fragments of other minerals, especially quartz and calcite. The ratio of clay to other minerals is variable. Shale is characterized by breaks along thin laminae or parallel layering...
. The fossil was recovered by Gus and Christine Halandras of Meeker, Colorado
Meeker, Colorado
The Town of Meeker is a Statutory Town that is the county seat and the most populous town of Rio Blanco County, Colorado, United States. The town population was 2,242 at the U.S. Census 2000. The town is largely an agricultural community, located in the wide fertile valley of the White River in...
from outcrops of the Green River Formation
Green River Formation
The Green River Formation is an Eocene geologic formation that records the sedimentation in a group of intermountain lakes. The sediments are deposited in very fine layers, a dark layer during the growing season and a light-hue inorganic layer in winter. Each pair of layers is called a varve and...
s Parachute Member exposing sediments of Lake Unitah, Rio Blanco County, Colorado
Rio Blanco County, Colorado
Rio Blanco County is the sixth most extensive of the 64 counties of the State of Colorado of the United States. The county population was 5,986 at U.S. Census 2000. The name of the county is the Spanish language name for the White River which runs through it...
, USA. The type specimen is currently preserved in the paleoentomology collections housed in the Denver Museum of Nature and Science
Denver Museum of Nature and Science
The Denver Museum of Nature & Science is a municipal natural history and science museum in Denver, Colorado. It is a resource for informal science education in the Rocky Mountain region. A variety of exhibitions, programs, and activities help museum visitors learn about the natural history of...
, located in Denver, Colorado, USA. Uintascorpio was first studied by M. L. Perry with his 1995 brief description type description of the genus and species being published in a Grand Junction Geological Society publication. The generic
Genus
In biology, a genus is a low-level taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms, which is an example of definition by genus and differentia...
name was coined by Perry as a combination of the Latin "scorpio" for scorpion, and "Uintah" referring to Lake Uintah of the Green River Formation. The etymology
Etymology
Etymology is the study of the history of words, their origins, and how their form and meaning have changed over time.For languages with a long written history, etymologists make use of texts in these languages and texts about the languages to gather knowledge about how words were used during...
of the specific epithet
Species
In biology, a species is one of the basic units of biological classification and a taxonomic rank. A species is often defined as a group of organisms capable of interbreeding and producing fertile offspring. While in many cases this definition is adequate, more precise or differing measures are...
halandrasorum is in recognition of Gus and Christine Halandras. The species name was originally spelled halandrasi by Perry, however, per the naming regulations in the International Code of Zoological Nomenclature
International Code of Zoological Nomenclature
The International Code of Zoological Nomenclature is a widely accepted convention in zoology that rules the formal scientific naming of organisms treated as animals...
, the species name was corrected to halandrasorum in the 2004 redescription of Uintascorpio.
When Uintascorpio halandrasorum was described, Perry placed the genus tentatively into the family Vaejovidae
Vaejovidae
Vaejovidae is a family of scorpions, comprising 17 genera, all found in Mexico and the southwestern United States:*Franckeus Soleglad & Fet, 2005*Gertschius Graham & Soleglad, 2007*Hoffmannius Soleglad & Fet, 2008...
. This placement was not followed, however by later authors who mentioned the genus. The genus was suggested to be a member of Buthidae in a 1998 by Kovařík and possibly a synonym of the modern genus Rhopalurus. Papers in 2001 and 2003 left the genus as "Orthosternina incertae sedis" due to the limited nature of the type description and its illustrations. The Uintascorpio halandrasorum was redescribed in 2004 by Jorge Santiago-Blay, Michael Soleglad, and Victor Fet. In the redescription the placement of Uintascorpio into Buthidae was confirmed, but the synonymy with Rhopalurus as suggested by Kovařík was not.
Description
The U. halandrasorum type specimen is a well-preserved complete adult shown in dorsal view. The specimen is 25.25 millimetre (0.994094488188977 in) in preserved length with an estimated total length of 39.25 millimetres (1.5 in). The specimen has a general colorationAnimal colouration
Animal coloration is the general appearance of an animal resulting from the reflection or emission of light from its surfaces. The mechanisms for colour production in animals include pigments, chromatophores, structural coloration, and bioluminescence....
of brown tones, with the main carapace, mesosoma
Mesosoma
The mesosoma is the middle part of the body, or tagma, of arthropods whose body is composed of three parts, the other two being the prosoma and the metasoma. It bears the legs, and, in the case of winged insects, the wings....
, and metasoma
Metasoma
The metasoma is the posterior part of the body, or tagma, of arthropods whose body is composed of three parts, the other two being the prosoma and the mesosoma. In insects, it contains most of the digestive tract, respiratory system, and circulatory system, and the apical segments are typically...
being a slightly darker tone than the pedipalps and legs. The tips of the cheliceral fingers are a dark brown, as is the articulation mechanism on patellae of leg IV.