Jump to content

Arthrolycosidae

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Arthrolycosidae
Temporal range: Carboniferous-Permian 318.1–268.8 Ma [1]
Illustration of the fossil arachnid Arthrolycosa antiqua
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Subphylum: Chelicerata
Class: Arachnida
Order: Araneae (?)
Family: Arthrolycosidae
Frič, 1904[2]

Arthrolycosidae is an extinct family of arachnids, possibly spiders. Fossils placed in the family were found in the Carboniferous to Permian. They were considered by Alexander Petrunkevitch to be "mesotheles", i.e. placed in the spider suborder Mesothelae.[2] However, Paul A. Selden has stated they only have "the general appearance of spiders", with segmented abdomens (opisthosomae), but no definite spinnerets.[3] At least some of the specimens placed in the family in the genus Arthrolycosa are considered to be spiders, whereas Eocteniza is "rather problematic as a spider".[4]

Genera

[edit]

Genera placed in the Arthrolycosidae as of 2015 are shown below, together with the location of the fossils.[2]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ "Arthrolycosidae". Paleobiology Database. Retrieved 2024-02-24.
  2. ^ a b c Dunlop, J.A.; Penney, D.; Jekel, D. (2015). "A summary list of fossil spiders and their relatives" (PDF). World Spider Catalog. Natural History Museum Bern. Retrieved 2016-03-18.
  3. ^ Selden, P.A. (1996), "First fossil mesothele spider from the Carboniferous of France" (PDF), Revue suisse de Zoologie, hors série: 585–596, retrieved 2016-03-18
  4. ^ Selden, Paul A.; Shcherbakov, Dmitry E.; Dunlop, Jason A. & Eskov, Kirill Yu. (2013), "Arachnids from the Carboniferous of Russia and Ukraine, and the Permian of Kazakhstan", Paläontologische Zeitschrift, 88 (3): 297–307, doi:10.1007/s12542-013-0198-9