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Sea scorpions (Chelicerata, Eurypterida) from the Lower Devonian (Siegenian) of the Lahrbach Valley/Westerwald area (SW Germany, Rhineland-Palatinate)

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Abstract

A Lower Devonian (Siegenian) eurypterid association from a particular mudstone layer in the Lahrbach Valley near Bürdenbach/Westerwald is described. It is dominated by a species of the adelophthalmoid Parahughmilleria. Based on the paddle morphology Eurypterus statzi Størmer, 1936 from the Siegenian of the Wahnbachtal is transferred here to Parahughmilleria as P. statzi n. comb. Despite being slightly older, the proportions of paddle segments in the Bürdenbach specimens more closely match those of P. hefteri from the Emsian of Alken. Therefore, they are tentatively assigned to this taxon but left in open nomenclature as P. cf. hefteri. Additional eurypterid remains probably represent adelophthalmoids as well, but are clearly distinguishable from Parahughmilleria. One specimen is comparatively well-preserved and deserves to be described and formally named here as Wiedopterus noctua n. gen. n. sp. In addition, rare remains of pterygotid eurypterids have been recorded.

Kurzfassung

Aus dem Unterdevon (Siegenium) des Lahrbachtales bei Bürdenbach/Westerwald wird eine Eurypteriden-Assoziation beschrieben. Es dominiert eine Parahughmilleria-Art (Überfamilie Adelophthalmoidea). Eurypterus statzi Størmer, 1936 aus dem Siegenium des Wahnbachtales wird in die Gattung Parahughmilleria, als P. statzi n. comb., gestellt. In den Proportionen der Paddel-Segmente zeigen die Exemplare von Bürdenbach aber größere Übereinstimmung mit solchen von P. hefteri aus dem Emsium von Alken. Sie werden deshalb mit Vorbehalt und in offener Nomenklatur als P. cf. hefteri bestimmt. Weitere Eurypteridenreste repräsentieren wahrscheinlich ebenfalls den Adelophthalmoidea zugehörige Taxa, sind aber eindeutig nicht zu Parahughmilleria zu stellen. Ein Fossil ist vergleichsweise gut erhalten und von anderen Taxa soweit unterscheidbar, dass für diese Form hier eine neue Gattung und Art, Wiedopterus noctua n. gen. n. sp., vorgeschlagen wird. Darüber hinaus sind pterygotide Eurypteriden mit seltenen Resten vertreten.

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Acknowledgments

I thank Peter Müller (Langenhahn), Karin and Hans Schumacher (Dürrholz-Muscheid), and Dr. Reinhard Steinmeyer (Koblenz) for access to material in their collections. Dr. Christian Neumann (Berlin) kindly checked the repository of Størmer’s type material in Berlin. I am especially grateful to Drs. Carsten Brauckmann (Clausthal-Zellerfeld) and Michael Cuggy (Saskatoon), and one anonymous referee for their helpful comments on this text.

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  1. Generaldirektion Kulturelles Erbe RLP, Direktion Landesarchäologie, Referat Erdgeschichte, Große Langgasse 29, 55116, Mainz, Germany

    Markus Poschmann

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  1. Markus Poschmann
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Poschmann, M. Sea scorpions (Chelicerata, Eurypterida) from the Lower Devonian (Siegenian) of the Lahrbach Valley/Westerwald area (SW Germany, Rhineland-Palatinate). Paläontol Z 89, 783–793 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12542-015-0261-9

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