RE: Giant Paleozoic arthropods; Also, SVP field trips

["Tracy Ford" <tlford@ix.netcom.com>]

Tracy L. Ford
Dino Hunter
Dino Hunter

-----Original Message-----
From: owner-dinosaur@usc.edu [mailto:owner-dinosaur@usc.edu]On Behalf Of
Thomas R. Holtz, Jr.
Sent: Tuesday, June 29, 1999 5:25 AM
To: Adam Yates
Cc: ashmidt@flash.net; dinosaur@usc.edu
Subject: RE: Giant Paleozoic arthropods; Also, SVP field trips

At 03:22 PM 6/29/99 +1000, Adam Yates wrote:

>>Well, the sea scorpions (which actually were probably fresh water
>>animals,
>>and could move on land) got over six feet!.
>
>The aquatic Sea Scorpions were not true scorpions, they were chelicerates
>whose closest modern relatives are the horseshoe crabs.

Actually, although eurypterids ("sea scorpions") are not true scorpions, the
monophyly of Merostomata (eruypterids + xiphosurans ("horseshoe crabs")) is
suspect.  For example, in Willis et al., eurypterids are closer to arachnids
(including scorpions) than are modern limulids (modern horseshoe crabs),
while other Paleozoic "xiphosurans" are outside that clade.  Selden & Dunlop
(in the same volume) also place eurypterids as closer to arachnids than to a
(there monophyletic) Xiphosura.

Willis, M. A., D. E. G. Briggs, R. A. Fortey, M. Wilkinson & P. H. A.
Sneath.  1998 An arthropod phylogeny based on fossil and recent taxa.  In
Edgecombe, G. D. (ed.) Arthropod Fossils & Phylogeny.  Columbia Univ. Press.
pp. 33-105.


No, no, no. I'm sure the author of the post wanted to know about a
'scorpion' not eurypterids. Brontoscropion, or sum such. I don't have time
to go looking for it. Bob McCord, at the Mesa Southwest Museum had a life
size drawing of it, or one like it. I need to call him and I'll try to
remember to ask him which one it is in a few days. MSM is thinking of having
it sculpted life size.
Tracy