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Palaeophonus

Palaeophonus is one of the oldest known genera of scorpions.

Last revised
Jul 20, 2026
Read time
≈ 2 min
Length
433 w
Citations
10
Source
Wikipedia ↗
Palaeophonus
Temporal range: 12
Fossil specimen and illustration of Palaeophonus caledonicus
Reconstruction
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Subphylum: Chelicerata
Class: Arachnida
Order: Scorpiones
Suborder: †Lobosternina
Superfamily: †Palaeophonoidea
Thorell & Lindström, 1884
Family: †Palaeophonidae
Thorell & Lindström, 1884
Genus: †Palaeophonus
Thorell & Lindström, 1884
Type species
†Palaeophonus nuncius

Palaeophonus (meaning "ancient killer") is one of the oldest known genera of scorpions.2

Fossil records

This genus has been reported in the fossil record from the Silurian to the Carboniferous (age range: 428.2 to 314.6 million years ago). Fossils were described from Europe, the United States, and Canada.3 However revision by Dunlop & Garwood (2023) demonstrated that Allopalaeophonus is a junior synonym of Palaeophonus and that there are only two valid species, P. nuncius Thorell and Lindström 1884 from Sweden and P. caledonicus Hunter, 1886 from Scotland. The species P. arctus Matthew, 1894 from the Carboniferous of Canada and P. lightbodyi Kjellesvig-Waering 1954 from the Silurian of England are nomina dubia.4

Description

Reconstruction of P. nuncius in dorsal view and P. caledonicus in ventral view

Palaeophonus resembles modern scorpions, but differs in having short, pointed legs, as opposed to longer legs ending in a pair of claws. It grew to a lengths of 2.5–3.5 in (64–89 mm).5 These animals did not have eyes and therefore they were blind.6

Palaeophonus seems to have been terrestrial.78

Species

Species within this genus include:3

  • †P. caledonicus Hunter, 1886
  • †P. nuncius Thorell & Lindström, 1884
References

References

  1. Laurie, M. (2012). "XIX.—On a Silurian Scorpion and some additional Eurypterid Remains from the Pentland Hills". Transactions of the Royal Society of Edinburgh. 39 (3): 575–590. doi:10.1017/S0080456800035109. S2CID 163565981.
  2. Dunlop, J. A. (2010). "Geological history and phylogeny of Chelicerata". Arthropod Structure & Development. 39 (2–3): 124–142. Bibcode:2010ArtSD..39..124D. doi:10.1016/j.asd.2010.01.003. PMID 20093195.
  3. Paleobiology Database
  4. Dunlop, J. A.; Garwood, R. J. (2023). "The status of two fossils assigned to the scorpion genus Palaeophonus and its interpretation as a senior synonym of Allopalaeophonus". Arachnology. 19 (6): 940–943. doi:10.13156/arac.2023.19.6.940.
  5. G. A. Polis The Biology of scorpions
  6. The Eurypterida of New York Volume 1.pdf/408
  7. Gess, R. W. (2013). "The Earliest Record of Terrestrial Animals in Gondwana: a Scorpion from the Famennian (Late Devonian) Witpoort Formation of South Africa". African Invertebrates. 54 (2): 373–379. Bibcode:2013AfrIn..54..373G. doi:10.5733/afin.054.0206.{{cite journal}}: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service (link)
  8. Alexander Petrunkevitch, 1953, Paleozoic and Mesozoic Arachnida of Europe
  • Steve Parker (2003). Dinosaurus: the Complete Guide to Dinosaurs. Firefly Books. p. 75. ISBN 978-1-55297-772-9.
  • Frank H.T. Rodes, Herbert S. Zim en Paul R. Shaffer (1993) - Natuurgids Fossielen (het ontstaan, prepareren en rangschikken van fossielen), Zuidnederlandse Uitgeverij N.V., Aartselaar. ISBN D-1993-0001-361
  • s:The Scottish Silurian Scorpion R. I. Pocock, 1901