摘要
Eurypterids,or sea scorpions,are an important group of midPaleozoic chelicerate arthropods whose evolution and palaeoecological significance have attracted much attention in recent years[1–3].One of the most remarkable eurypterid families is Mixopteridae,whose members are quite large and superficially scorpion-like eurypterids bearing highly specialized anterior appendages.Their second,and especially the third,pair of prosomal limbs are enlarged and very spiny.These limbs were presumably used for prey-capture,and analogies can be drawn with the “catching basket”[4]formed by the spiny pedipalps of whip spiders(Amblypygi)among the arachnids.
混翅鲎(螯肢动物亚门:板足鲎目:混翅鲎科)是一种已灭绝的外形奇特的节肢动物,生活于约4.3亿年前的志留纪海洋中.其前部附肢特化,具硬质长刺,尾部似蝎,被认为具有较强的捕食能力,在海洋生态系统中扮演重要角色.一直以来,学界对此类动物的认识较少.目前仅报道2属4种,皆分布于劳俄大陆,且近80年来再无新的种类发现.本文描述了来自华南地区早志留世的混翅鲎一新属新种, Terropterus xiushanensis gen. et sp. nov.(秀山恐鲎).重建了秀山恐鲎的形态,并确定了其在相关类群中的系统发育位置.进一步讨论了混翅鲎类的附肢形态多样性,推断其作为顶级捕食者,居于彼时生态链顶端.秀山恐鲎的发现填补了混翅鲎类在中国,乃至整个冈瓦纳大陆的空白,也代表了已知最古老的混翅鲎化石记录.
作者
Han Wang
Jason Dunlop
Zhikun Gai
Xiaojie Lei
Edmund A.Jarzembowski
Bo Wang
王晗;Jason Dunlop;盖志琨;雷晓洁;Edmund AJarzembowski;王博(State Key Laboratory of Palaeobiology and Stratigraphy,Nanjing Institute of Geology and Palaeontology and Center for Excellence in Life and Paleoenvironment,Chinese Academy of Sciences,Nanjing 210008,China;University of Chinese Academy of Sciences,Beijing 100049,China;Museum für Naturkunde,Leibniz Institute for Evolution and Biodiversity Science,Berlin 10115,Germany;Key Laboratory of Vertebrate Evolution and Human Origins,Institute of Vertebrate Palaeontology and Palaeoanthropology,Chinese Academy of Sciences,Beijing 100044,China;Center for Excellence in Life and Paleoenvironment,Chinese Academy of Sciences,Beijing 100044,China;University of Science and Technology of China,Hefei 230026,China;Department of Earth Sciences,Natural History Museum,London SW75BD,UK)
基金
supported by the Strategic Priority Research Program of Chinese Academy of Sciences(XDB26000000)
the National Natural Science Foundation of China(41972006,41688103)
the Key Research Program of Frontier Sciences of Chinese Academy of Sciences(QYZDB-SSWDQC040)
the program of State Key Laboratory of Palaeobiology and Stratigraphy(Nanjing Institute of Geology and Palaeontology,Chinese Academy of Sciences,NIGPAS)(183101).
