Dolichophonus

Dolichophonus is an extinct genus of scorpion known from the Silurian aged Gutterford Burn Eurypterid bed, in the Pentland Hills in Scotland. It was the world's oldest known scorpion until Parioscorpio was named in 2020. It is sometimes referred to Palaeophonus.[2]

Dolichophonus loudonensis
Temporal range: Silurian, (Telychian) 436โ€“428 Ma
Scientific classification
Kingdom:
Animalia
Phylum:
Arthropoda
Subphylum:
Chelicerata
Class:
Arachnida
Order:
Scorpiones
Family:
Dolichophoniidae
Type species
โ€ Dolichophonus loudonensis
Laurie 1899.[1]

Discovery

The specimen of Dolichophonus was collected by Mr Hardie of Bavelaw Castle.[1] When he died his collection was given to the Edinburgh Museum of Science and Art (now National Museum of Scotland), where it was then studied by Malcolm Laurie. He named seven new species of Eurypterids from the collection, along with this scorpion, which he named.

References
  1. M. Laurie. 1899. On a Silurian scorpion and some additional eurypterid remains from the Pentland Hills. Transactions of the Royal Society of Edinburgh 39:575-590
  2. http://fossilworks.org/bridge.pl?a=taxonInfo&taxon_no=272254&is_real_user=1


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