Extinct superfamily of sea scorpions
Eurypteroidea are an extinct superfamily of eurypterids . It contains three families (Dolichopteridae , Eurypteridae , Strobilopteridae ) and two genera of uncertain classification, Paraeurypterus and Pentlandopterus .[ 1]
Description
Eurypteroidea, which lived from the Ordovician to Devonian periods, were characterized by their last pair of prosomal (head) appendages, which were developed as swimming legs, carrying paddles formed by the expansion of the two penultimate joints.[ 2]
Families
Order Eurypterida Burmeister, 1843
Suborder Eurypterina Burmeister, 1845
Superfamily Eurypteroidea Burmeister, 1845
References
^ Dunlop, J. A., Penney, D. & Jekel, D. 2015. A summary list of fossil spiders and their relatives. In World Spider Catalog. Natural History Museum Bern, online at http://wsc.nmbe.ch , version 16.0 http://www.wsc.nmbe.ch/resources/fossils/Fossils16.0.pdf (PDF).
^ Størmer, L 1955. Merostomata. Treatise on Invertebrate Paleontology, Part P Arthropoda 2, Chelicerata , P30. as Eurypteracea