A Reappraisal of Eurypterus Dumonti S T a I N I
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BULLETIN DE L'INSTITUT ROYAL DES SCIENCES NATURELLES DE BELGIQUE SCIENCES DE LA TERRE, 76: 79-90, 2006 BULLETIN VAN HET KONINKLIJK BELGISCH INSTITUUT VOOR NATUURWETENSCHAPPEN AARDWETENSCHAPPEN, 76: 79-90, 2006 A reappraisal ofEurypterus dumonti S t a in ie r, 1917 and its position within the Adelophthalmidae T o l l e r t o n, 1989 by O. Erik TETLIE & Peter VAN ROY T e tlie , O.E. & V an R oy, P., 2006 — A reappraisal of Eurypterus prétées ici comme des "dumb-bells” (cfr. Briggs & Wilby 1996), dumonti S ta in ie r, 1917 and its position within the Adelophthalmidae résultant d’action bactérielle avant la fossilisation. Ces structures in Tollerton, 1989. Bulletin de l'Institut royal des Sciences naturelles diquent que le fossile n’est pas une exuvie. L’interprétation d’un de Belgique, Sciences de la Terre 76: 79-90, 6 figs., Brussels, April 15, nombre d’autres caractéristiques diffère aussi de celle de la description 2006-ISSN 0374-6291. originale. Des lignes de descendance possible du clade Adelophthalmus sont identifiées, et la proximité d 'A. dumonti à A. imhofi (République Tchèque) et à A. moyseyi (Royaume-Uni) est suggérée. A bstract Mots-clefs: Eurypterida, appendices, 'dumb-bells’, Belgique, terrain houiller. The Carboniferous eurypterid Eurypterus dumonti S ta in ie r, 1917 from Mechelen-aan-de-Maas (Maasmechelen), Belgium is redescribed and assigned to the genus Adelophthalmus. It is diagnosed as having a raised triangle of unknown function, dorsally on opisthosomal segment Introduction 7 and a carapace articulating laterally against the second opisthosomal segment. Earlier assignments of this species to the genusUnionopterus , Eurypterids are a diverse group of Palaeozoic, aquatic based on the carapace shape figured in the original description (S ta in ie r 1917), are incorrect and the existence of a Carboniferous chelicerates ranging from the Upper Ordovician eurypterid with the characteristics described for Unionopterus must be (Tollerton 2004) to the Upper Permian ( P l o t n i c k questioned. The appendages in A. dumonti are completely exposed and 1983). They occur most frequently in the Silurian and provide an unrivalled insight into the number of appendage podomeres in the genus; this species is interpreted to have a podomere count Lower Devonian of Europe and North America. Post- consistent with most other eurypterids. Small pustules previously Devonian eurypterids are rare and had migrated from thought to be cuticle sculpture are here interpreted as diagenetic their earlier marginal marine environments into brackish “ dumb-bells” (see Briggs & Wilby 1996) following microbial and freshwater settings ( P l o t n i c k 1983; T e t l i e 2004) - activity on the carcase prior to fossilisation. These “ dumb-bells” are the oldest non-marine record of this diagenetic feature. A number of the Carboniferous Coal Measures of Europe, North other features are also interpreted differently from the original descrip America and China being classic examples. Although tion. Possible lineages within the Adelophthalmus clade are identified, known from the Devonian ( T e t l i e et al. 2004; T e t l i e A. dumonti is probably closely related to A. imhofi (Czech Republic) and A. moyseyi (United Kingdom). & D u n l o p 2005; P o s c h m a n n 2005), adelophthalmids constitute most of the post-Devonian eurypterids, both Key words: Eurypterida, appendages, 'dumb-bells’, Belgium, Coal in terms of the number of species and individuals. They Measures. represent one of only two eurypterid clades to survive into the Carboniferous; the other, and more diverse clade, includes the gigantic sweep-feeding hibbertopterids (Hib- R ésum é bertopterus, Cyrtoctenus, Campylocephalus, Hastimima, Dunsopterus and Vernonopterus) and the peculiar wood- L’euryptéride carbonifère de Mechelen-sur-Meuse (Maasmechelen), Belgique, originalement décrit comme Eurypterus dumonti S ta in ie r, wardopterids (the Devonian Borchgrevinkium and the 1917 fait ici le sujet d’une nouvelle description, résultant de son Carboniferous Woodwardopterus, Mycterops and Mega- transfert au genre Adelophthalmus. Cet euryptéride est caractérisé rachne), this latter group being allied to the hibbertopter par la possession d’un triangle surélévé sur le segment opisthosomal 7, et par une carapace articulant latéralement contre le deuxième ids ( S e l d e n et al. 2005). segment opisthosomal. L’attribution de cette espèce au genre Union Adelophthalmids are small, streamlined, nektonic eur opterus, basée sur la forme de la carapace comme figurée dans la ypterids with prominent cuticle sculpture, which have description originale ( S ta in ie r 1917) s’est révélée incorrecte. L’exis previously been referred to six genera. As discussed by tence d’un euryptéride carbonifère avec des caractéristiques comme celles décrites pour Unionopterus, est assez douteuse. Les appendices Tetlie & Dunlop (2005) only Adelophthalmus v o n d’Adelophthalmus dumonti sont exceptionellement bien exposées et M e y e r , 1853 and Unionopterus Chernyshev, 1948 permettent d’obtenir une idée précise du nombre de podomères appen- appear to be valid, and the four other proposed genera diculaires de ce genre. Le nombre de podomères de A. dumonti est interprété comme comparable à celui d’autres euryptérides. Des petites are synonyms of Adelophthalmus. While the morphology pustules originalement considérées comme ornementales sont réinter o fAdelophthalmus is relatively well-known (K jellesvig- 80 O. Erik TETLIE & Peter VAN ROY W a e r i n g 1948, 1963; V a n O y e n 1956; W i l l s 1964; Late Carboniferous geology of the Campine Basin Kues & Kietzke 1981; Poschm ann in press), our knowl edge o f Unionopterus is extremely poor; this genus The Belgian Carboniferous is classically divided into a contains only one species and is known only from a fully marine, carbonate-dominated “ Dinantian” , over- single specimen from Kazakhstan, described by C h e r lain by a predominantly continental, siliciclastic coal- n y s h e v (1948) as U. anastasiae. The original descrip bearing “ Silesian” . The internationally agreed chronos- tion was in Russian and contained rather poor illus tratigraphic standard scale for the late Carboniferous has trations. Based solely upon these figures of not found wide acceptance in Belgium, and the traditional Chernyshev (1948), the genus has variously been divisions of the “ Silesian” into Namurian A, B and C, interpreted as allied to Adelophthalmus ( C a s t e r & and Westphalian A, B, C and D are still widely used K jellesvig-W aering 1964; T o l l e r t o n 1989), incer (Fig. 1). tae sedis (N ovojilov 1962; S t o r m e r 1974; P l o t n i c k Whereas the southern Wallonian Basin outcrops at the 1983), or was ignored altogether ( S t o r m e r 1955). surface, the coal deposits of the northern Campine Basin T e t l i e (2004) and T etlie & D unlop (2005) realised are entirely covered by post-Carboniferous deposits. The that the specimen described by S t a i n i e r (1917) as Campine Basin can be further subdivided into the western Eurypterus dumonti and later assigned to Adeloph Antwerp Campine, only containing Serpukhovian (Na thalmus by V a n O y e n (1956), appeared different from murian A-C) and Bashkirian (Westphalian A-B) deposits other species of Adelophthalmus. They listed some poor in coal, and the eastern Limburg Campine, preser similarities, especially in terms of carapace shape and ving coal-rich Moscovian (Westphalian C-D) deposits. In the width of the marginal rim, to the specimen the Campine Basin, the transition from the fully-marine described by Chernyshev (1948) and suggested that carbonate-dominated “ Dinantian” to the continental the Belgian species might also belong to Unionopterus. “ Silesian” is represented by the Souvré Fm., dating to As demonstrated below, this conclusion was incorrect; the Viséan-Serpukhovian boundary. It is overlain by the the anterior of the carapace of the Belgian fossil is Belgian Coal Measures Group, containing all Carboni incompletely preserved, and its shape is not trapezoid ferous siliciclastic coal-bearing sediments. This group as figured by S t a i n i e r (1917), but parabolic, with a evidences a regression, with a transition from a marine narrow marginal rim, as in other species ofAde pro-delta environment near the base, through lower/upper lophthalmus. delta plain, to lower/upper alluvial plain near the top Except for A. dumonti, several other eurypterids are (Langenaeker & Dusar 1992; D r e e s e n et al. 1995). recorded from Belgium. The oldest Belgian eurypterids In their recent review of the late Carboniferous strati are Cyrtoctenus dewalquei (Fraipont, 1889) and Ade graphy o f B elgium , D e l m e r et al. (2001) subdivided the lophthalmus (?) lohesti ( D e w a l q u e in F r a i p o n t , 1889) Belgian Coal Measures Group into six formations from the middle to late Famennian (late Devonian) of the (Fig. 2). Condroz Group at Pont de Bonne Modave. The single Because Belgian Carboniferous eurypterid discoveries specimen of E. lohesti was first interpreted as possibly are limited to the Châtelet and Charleroi formations, only belonging to Adelophthalmus by K jellesvig-W aering these two units are discussed. The sediments of the (1958, p. 1141). However, Stormer & W aterston Châtelet Fm. are composed of non-marine shales, sand ( 1968, p. 83) interpreted it as a possible stylonurid, a view stones, thin coal seams and rootlet beds. Two pervasive supported here. Most of the other fragmentary fossils marine horizons divide the Châtelet Fm. into two mem figured by F r a i p o n t (1889) were reinterpreted by bers: the Samsbank marine band at the base of the Châte Storm er & W aterston (1968) as belonging to Cyrtoc let Fm.