Mycterops

Mycterops is a genus of prehistoric eurypterid of the family Mycteroptidae. Mycterops lived during the Carboniferous period in Europe and North America.

Mycterops Temporal range: Upper Carboniferous PreꞒ Ꞓ O S D C P T J K Pg N
Figure by Edward Drinker Cope of the carapace and part of the abdomen of M. ordinatus from its 1886 description
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Arthropoda
Subphylum:	Chelicerata
Order:	†Eurypterida
Superfamily:	†Mycteropoidea
Family:	†Mycteroptidae
Genus:	†Mycterops Cope, 1886
Type species
†Mycterops ordinatus Cope, 1886
Species
†?M. blairi Waterston, 1968 †M. matthieui Pruvost, 1924 †M. ordinatus Cope, 1886 †?M. whitei Schram, 1984
Synonyms
Glaucodes Pruvost, 1923

Description

Mycteroptids were medium-sized to fairly large. Their outer surface had numerous scales and reticulate ornamentation. Their first and possibly second tergites (dorsal surfaces of the abdominal sections) were strongly developed. Their legs resembled those of Stylonurus. The prosoma (head) was subtrapezoid, with small compound eyes.^[1]

Classification

The three genera included in the Mycteroptidae - Mycterops, Woodwardopterus, and Megarachne - might represent different ontogenetic stages of each other based on the sizes of the referred specimens and the patterns of mucronation. This would sink the genera Woodwardopterus and Megarachne into Mycterops.^[2]

Mycterops whitei is a fragmentary species that might not be referrable to the genus at all if more complete specimens show that it has a caudal postabdomen.^[2]

Species

The species currently seen as valid species of the genus are:^[3]

• Mycterops? blairi Waterston, 1968 — Carboniferous, Scotland.
• Mycterops matthieui Pruvost, 1924 — Carboniferous, Belgium.
• Mycterops ordinatus Cope, 1886 — Carboniferous, Pennsylvania (United States).
• Mycterops? whitei Schram, 1984 — Carboniferous, Iowa (United States).

See also

• Paleontology portal

• List of eurypterids