Abstract

Stoermeropterus conicus (Eurypterida: Eurypterina), from the Telychian (Upper Llandovery, Silurian) of Pentland Hills near Edinburgh, Scotland, is described from material originally assigned to three different species (Nanahughmilleria conica, Drepanopterus bembycoides and Drepanopterus lobatus). Two other existing eurypterid species, Hughmilleria lata from the Wenlock of Norway and Drepanopterus nodosus from the Pridoli of North America are recognized as being congeneric with S. conicus, united principally by their possession of moveable mesosomal spines on the mesosoma, genital spatulae and a bulbous telson ‘boss’. Several characters support the assignment Stoermeropterus to Moselopteridae, the most basal eurypterine clade, including its possession of a pediform appendage VI with a modified ‘podomere’ 7a and the possession of a coxal ‘ear’, which may represent the remains of a much-reduced exopod. Stoermeropterus conicus resolves phylogenetically as the most basal known eurypterine, and can aid in reconstructing the eurypterid ground plan. As such an attempt is made to reconstruct the characteristics that are plesiomorphic for Eurypterida through comparison with basal Eurypterina, Stylonurina, chasmataspidids and synziphosurines. Several characteristics previously thought to be autapomorphies of Stylonurina, such as a three-segmented genital operculum, are now shown to actually be plesiomorphic conditions in respect to Eurypterida as a whole, while other apparently derived characteristics such as an epistoma and genital spatulae may be characters that are present in all eurypterids during the juvenile and are respectively either paedomorphically retained into adulthood or become hypertrophied in various species. Following the identification of a metastoma and genital appendage in some chasmataspidid species, the sole currently known eurypterid autapomorphy is identified as the fusion of the opercular plates of somites VIII and IX. Evolutionary relationships among the traditional ‘merostome’ groups are reviewed, primarily in light of segment articulations and the development of the appendage of somite VII. The concept that synziphosurines may represent a paraphyletic stem grade to a group inclusive of xiphosurids, chasmataspidids, eurypterids, and arachnids is proposed.