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74-584: Erettopterus is a genus of large predatory eurypterid , an extinct group of aquatic arthropods . Fossils of Erettopterus have been discovered in deposits ranging from Early Silurian (the Rhuddanian age) to the Early Devonian (the Lochkovian age), and have been referred to several different species. Fossils have been recovered from two continents; Europe and North America. The genus name

148-575: A double tooth socket. Both terminal teeth are wide and short, although one is longer than the other. A fine ribbing ("striations") is visible in both teeth, but not in the others. These other teeth are generally small, curved and of irregular sizes. The metastoma is cordated anteriorly and narrowing to a rounded posterior. In 1971, E. serricaudatus and E. carinatus from the Early Wenlock age in Sweden were described by Kjellesvig-Waering. They were

222-459: A factor for the distinction between genera since their morphology is dependent on lifestyle and vary throughout ontogeny (the formation and individual development of an organism), although they could be acceptable for the differentiation between species. Therefore, Truncatiramus was later recognized as representing a synonym of Erettopterus . In addition, Pterygotus waylandsmithi was transferred to Erettopterus in 2007 based on similarities of

296-483: A genus of spiders, Erica Peckham & Peckham, 1892, and to a genus of heaths, Erica L. Another example is Cyanea , applied to the lion's mane jellyfish Cyanea Péron and Lesueur and to the Hawaiian lobelioid Cyanea Gaudich. Hemihomonyms are possible at the species level as well, with organisms in different kingdoms sharing the same binomial nomenclature . For instance, Orestias elegans denotes both

370-651: A later homonym of a validly published name is a nomen illegitimum or nom. illeg. ; for a full list refer to the International Code of Nomenclature for algae, fungi, and plants and the work cited above by Hawksworth, 2010. In place of the "valid taxon" in zoology, the nearest equivalent in botany is " correct name " or "current name" which can, again, differ or change with alternative taxonomic treatments or new information that results in previously accepted genera being combined or split. Prokaryote and virus codes of nomenclature also exist which serve as

444-628: A long time and redescribed as new by a range of subsequent workers, or if a range of genera previously considered separate taxa have subsequently been consolidated into one. For example, the World Register of Marine Species presently lists 8 genus-level synonyms for the sperm whale genus Physeter Linnaeus, 1758, and 13 for the bivalve genus Pecten O.F. Müller, 1776. Within the same kingdom, one generic name can apply to one genus only. However, many names have been assigned (usually unintentionally) to two or more different genera. For example,

518-409: A reference for designating currently accepted genus names as opposed to others which may be either reduced to synonymy, or, in the case of prokaryotes, relegated to a status of "names without standing in prokaryotic nomenclature". An available (zoological) or validly published (botanical) name that has been historically applied to a genus but is not regarded as the accepted (current/valid) name for

592-948: A short spine. The cladogram below published by Braddy et al. (2007) is based on the nine best-known pterygotid species and two outgroup taxa (used as a reference group), Slimonia acuminata and Hughmilleria socialis . The cladogram also contains the maximum sizes reached by the species in question, which have been suggested to possibly have been an evolutionary trait of the group per Cope's rule ("phyletic gigantism"). Hughmilleria socialis (20 cm, 8 in) Slimonia acuminata (100 cm, 39 in) Ciurcopterus ventricosus (70 cm, 28 in) Erettopterus waylandsmithi (60 cm, 24 in) Erettopterus osiliensis (90 cm, 35 in) Erettopterus serricaudatus (60 cm, 24 in) Erettopterus bilobus (70 cm, 27 in) Pterygotus anglicus (160 cm, 63 in) Jaekelopterus rhenaniae (250 cm, 98 in) Acutiramus macrophthalmus (200 cm, 79 in) Acutiramus bohemicus (210 cm, 83 in) The chelicerae of

666-431: A species epithet is identical to a genus name but not a homonym (sometimes even occurring in the genus it is identical to, such as Gorilla gorilla , termed a " tautonym "), and there are some rare cases where a family-rank name and a genus-rank name are identical (e.g., the superfamily name Ranoidea and the genus name Ranoidea are not homonyms). The botanical code is generally similar, but prohibits tautonyms. Under

740-427: A taxon; however, the names published in suppressed works are made unavailable via the relevant Opinion dealing with the work in question. In botany, similar concepts exist but with different labels. The botanical equivalent of zoology's "available name" is a validly published name . An invalidly published name is a nomen invalidum or nom. inval. ; a rejected name is a nomen rejiciendum or nom. rej. ;

814-455: A total of c. 520,000 published names (including synonyms) as at end 2019, increasing at some 2,500 published generic names per year. "Official" registers of taxon names at all ranks, including genera, exist for a few groups only such as viruses and prokaryotes, while for others there are compendia with no "official" standing such as Index Fungorum for fungi, Index Nominum Algarum and AlgaeBase for algae, Index Nominum Genericorum and

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888-479: Is based on incomplete specimens, which together represent an almost complete chelicera. The holotype (BMNH 43790, in the British Museum of Natural History ) consists of a free ramus, and the paratype (BMNH 43805, in the same museum as the holotype) includes most of the fixed ramus, that is very slender and tapering to the curved distal end. A large tooth is present in the midsection of the ramus. The end of

962-623: Is composed by the Ancient Greek words ἐρέττω ( eréttō ), which means "rower", and πτερόν ( pterón ), which means "wing", and therefore, "rower wing". Erettopterus is classified as part of the eurypterid family Pterygotidae , a family differentiated from other eurypterids by their flattened telsons (the most posterior segment of the body) and their modified chelicerae (frontal appendages), ending in well-developed chelae (claws). Although some pterygotid eurypterids, such as Jaekelopterus or Acutiramus grew to gigantic proportions, it

1036-612: Is discouraged by both the International Code of Zoological Nomenclature and the International Code of Nomenclature for algae, fungi, and plants , there are some five thousand such names in use in more than one kingdom. For instance, A list of generic homonyms (with their authorities), including both available (validly published) and selected unavailable names, has been compiled by the Interim Register of Marine and Nonmarine Genera (IRMNG). The type genus forms

1110-425: Is estimated that the largest species of Erettopterus , E. osiliensis , reached 90 cm (35 in). Erettopterus had a bilobed (divided into two lobes) telson, which is its main characteristic. The forms of chelicerae are very diverse between species, but they are generally very long with small curved teeth without serrations. Studies on the chelicerae and compound eyes of Erettopterus have revealed that it

1184-511: Is large relative to most modern day arthropods, Erettopterus was small in comparison of many of the members of its family (the Pterygotidae ), such as Jaekelopterus rhenaniae at 2.5 m (8 ft) (the largest known arthropod) and Acutiramus bohemicus at 2.1 m (7 ft). E. grandis reached even larger sizes, 2.5 m (8 ft), but this size is indicated by an isolated incomplete telson (the most posterior segment of

1258-582: Is not entirely reliable. In 1883, one more species was described by Carl Friedrich Schmidt from the Ludlow age in Estonia, E. osiliensis . It was described from a large series of fossils found in Saaremaa , Estonia. In this species, the carapace was semi-oval with large oval eyes in the margin, while the ocelli (light-sensitive simple eyes) were slightly behind half the length of the carapace. The metastoma

1332-440: Is part of the abdomen) was very narrow and cordated (heart-shaped) anteriorly deeply notched (V-shaped slit). The swimming legs were short. The body was elongate-oval in form and gradually attenuated into the abdomen. The compound eyes were broadly crescentic and convex, and as in the rest of the pterygotioids, they were located in the margin of the carapace. A total of 19 valid species have been assigned to Erettopterus . Most of

1406-460: Is somewhat arbitrary. Although all species within a genus are supposed to be "similar", there are no objective criteria for grouping species into genera. There is much debate among zoologists about whether enormous, species-rich genera should be maintained, as it is extremely difficult to come up with identification keys or even character sets that distinguish all species. Hence, many taxonomists argue in favor of breaking down large genera. For instance,

1480-409: Is that the first such name to be published is the senior homonym and is to be used (it is " valid "); any others are junior homonyms and must be replaced with new names. It is, however, possible that if a senior homonym is archaic, and not in "prevailing usage," it may be declared a nomen oblitum and rendered unavailable, while the junior homonym is preserved as a nomen protectum . Similarly,

1554-474: Is the type species , and the generic name is permanently associated with the type specimen of its type species. Should the specimen turn out to be assignable to another genus, the generic name linked to it becomes a junior synonym and the remaining taxa in the former genus need to be reassessed. In zoological usage, taxonomic names, including those of genera, are classified as "available" or "unavailable". Available names are those published in accordance with

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1628-616: Is the reason why it was assigned this specific name. All these characteristics indicate a close relationship between both species. Next, two species in North America would be described. One of them was the Canadian E. canadensis (referring to the country where it was discovered) described by John William Dawson from the Late Wenlock (Late Silurian) age, known for a well-preserved ectognath ( maxilliped , an appendage used in

1702-502: Is translated as "rower wing". At the same time, the first English species of Erettopterus , E. gigas , was described by Salter and Thomas Henry Huxley . It is known for multiple poorly conserved specimens discovered in deposits of the Přídolí (Late Silurian) age. The specific epithet gigas emphasizes the large size that its fossils indicated (although the current estimated size is 25 cm (10 in)). When another species of England from

1776-597: Is wider than long and gives it the specific name. These telsons are rare, and have only been seen in E. grandis . In the same year, he described an American species, E. serratus (Latin for "serrated"), from the Lower Devonian age in Ohio. This species is based on a complete and well-preserved free ramus (FMNH 5104, in the Field Museum of Natural History). This species differs from the others by its thick chela and

1850-471: The International Code of Nomenclature for algae, fungi, and plants (ICN) specifies that the first published of two or more homonyms is to be used: a later homonym is " illegitimate " and is not to be used unless conserved (or sanctioned, in the case of fungi). Under the zoological code, homonymy can only occur within each of the three nomenclatural ranks (family-rank, genus-rank, and species-rank) but not between them; there are thousands of cases where

1924-621: The International Code of Zoological Nomenclature ; the earliest such name for any taxon (for example, a genus) should then be selected as the " valid " (i.e., current or accepted) name for the taxon in question. Consequently, there will be more available names than valid names at any point in time; which names are currently in use depending on the judgement of taxonomists in either combining taxa described under multiple names, or splitting taxa which may bring available names previously treated as synonyms back into use. "Unavailable" names in zoology comprise names that either were not published according to

1998-824: The International Plant Names Index for plants in general, and ferns through angiosperms, respectively, and Nomenclator Zoologicus and the Index to Organism Names for zoological names. Totals for both "all names" and estimates for "accepted names" as held in the Interim Register of Marine and Nonmarine Genera (IRMNG) are broken down further in the publication by Rees et al., 2020 cited above. The accepted names estimates are as follows, broken down by kingdom: The cited ranges of uncertainty arise because IRMNG lists "uncertain" names (not researched therein) in addition to known "accepted" names;

2072-546: The Kip Burn and Patrick Burn formations in Lesmahagow, where the first fossils of E. bilobus were found, preserve fossils of a large amount of other eurypterids, including Nanahughmilleria lanceolata , Hardieopterus lanarkensis , Eusarcana obesus , Parastylonurus sigmoidalis , Carcinosoma scorpionis and Slimonia acuminata . Other organisms found in the zone include the gastropod Euomphalopterus ,

2146-587: The chelae fingers of Erettopterus were mostly short and suitable for holding prey, and could have effectively sliced up the prey. The number of lenses in the compound eyes of Erettopterus is comparable to the number in Pterygotus and Jaekelopterus which suggests that while undoubtedly predatory, Erettopterus was not as active, nor as specialized, as these genera. Erettopterus has been found in North America and in Europe. The Llandovery-aged deposits of

2220-548: The chelicerae and the telson. The chelicerae of the Pterygotidae were enlargened and robust, clearly used to hunt. Their walking legs were small and slender, without spines, and they were likely not capable of walking on land. What sets Erettopterus apart from the other pterygotids is the morphology of its bilobed telson, which is different from the telson of Ciurcopterus , with a dorsal median carinae, and that of Pterygotus , Jaekelopterus and Acutiramus , which form

2294-583: The hyperoartid Jamoytius or the thelodontid Logania . The deposits of the Rootsikula Formation in Saaremaa in which fossils of E. laticauda and E. osiliensis have been found shelter various faunas of eurypterids such as Mixopterus simonsi , Strobilopterus laticeps and Eysyslopterus patteni . Fossil remains of indeterminate osteostracids and thelodontids have also been found. Other fossils have also been found in different places, such as Great Britain, Canada, Scandinavia and

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2368-419: The nomenclature codes , which allow each species a single unique name that, for animals (including protists ), plants (also including algae and fungi ) and prokaryotes ( bacteria and archaea ), is Latin and binomial in form; this contrasts with common or vernacular names , which are non-standardized, can be non-unique, and typically also vary by country and language of usage. Except for viruses ,

2442-404: The platypus belongs to the genus Ornithorhynchus although George Shaw named it Platypus in 1799 (these two names are thus synonyms ) . However, the name Platypus had already been given to a group of ambrosia beetles by Johann Friedrich Wilhelm Herbst in 1793. A name that means two different things is a homonym . Since beetles and platypuses are both members of the kingdom Animalia,

2516-504: The ICZN specifies a number of spelling variations (Article 58) that are considered to be identical. Both codes only consider taxa that are in their respective scope (animals for the ICZN; primarily plants for the ICN). Therefore, if an animal taxon has the same name as a plant taxon, both names are valid. Such names are called hemihomonyms . For example, the name Erica has been given to both

2590-539: The Late Ludlow (Late Silurian) age was described in 1961 by Erik N. Kjellesvig-Waering as E. megalodon , the various similarities among the species were discovered, including the possession of a central tooth of the fixed ramus (the external branch of the appendage). In both species, the central tooth is serrated along the inner edge and is followed by irregularly sized teeth. However, those of E. megalodon are more spine-like and longer than those of E. gigas , which

2664-526: The United States. Genus The composition of a genus is determined by taxonomists . The standards for genus classification are not strictly codified, so different authorities often produce different classifications for genera. There are some general practices used, however, including the idea that a newly defined genus should fulfill these three criteria to be descriptively useful: Moreover, genera should be composed of phylogenetic units of

2738-573: The aforementioned short and robust teeth. Three years later, Kjellesvig-Waering described E. saetiger from the Silurian age in Pennsylvania was described. The holotype (FMNH 157, housed at the Field Museum of Natural History) consists of an unusually well preserved metastoma. The metastoma has been defined as roughly ellipsoidal, truncated posteriorly and not excessively cordate at the anterior margin. In 1966, another species would be included in

2812-494: The alimentation) found in a slab of Niagara limestone. This ectognath of 8.8 cm (3.5 in) in length has a narrow maxillary process with approximately 15 denticles (tooth serrations), including one, the posterior denticle, which is broad and slightly notched in front. The other was E. grandis ( grandis because of the large size of the species) from the Přídolí age of the United States described by Julius Pohlman. This species

2886-442: The base for higher taxonomic ranks, such as the family name Canidae ("Canids") based on Canis . However, this does not typically ascend more than one or two levels: the order to which dogs and wolves belong is Carnivora ("Carnivores"). The numbers of either accepted, or all published genus names is not known precisely; Rees et al., 2020 estimate that approximately 310,000 accepted names (valid taxa) may exist, out of

2960-411: The body), therefore, it is not entirely confiable. The smallest species was E. globiceps , at only 9 cm (3.5 in), although the fossils of E. globiceps could be remains of juvenile specimens, which would mean that the species could have reached larger sizes. The telson was expanded and bilobed (divided into two lobes). This form of telson is its main characteristic and differentiates it from

3034-414: The botanical code, names that are similar enough that they are likely to be confused are also considered to be homonymous (article 53.3). For example, Astrostemma Benth. (1880) is an illegitimate homonym of Asterostemma Decne. (1838). The zoological code considers even a single letter difference to be sufficient to render family-rank and genus-rank names distinct (Article 56.2), though for species names,

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3108-493: The chelicerae with E. osiliensis . Pterygotus monroensis was considered synonymous with E. osiliensis , extending the range of the species to the United States. Erettopterus is classified as part of the pterygotid family of eurypterids, a group of highly derived (with evolutionary novelties) eurypterids of the Silurian to Devonian periods that differ from other groups by a number of features, perhaps most prominently in

3182-662: The cordated area and in its carinated (keel-like) telson, which is what gives the specific name. In 1974, Størmer raised Acutiramus and Truncatiramus to the level of separate genera. The differences between Erettopterus and Truncatiramus were in the chelicerae, which were longer in Erettopterus than in Truncatiramus . In Erettopterus , the teeth were curved and small, while in Truncatiramus they were irregular in size and could be curved, straight or rhombic. However, it has been questioned whether chelicerae serve as

3256-446: The form "author, year" in zoology, and "standard abbreviated author name" in botany. Thus in the examples above, the genus Canis would be cited in full as " Canis Linnaeus, 1758" (zoological usage), while Hibiscus , also first established by Linnaeus but in 1753, is simply " Hibiscus L." (botanical usage). Each genus should have a designated type , although in practice there is a backlog of older names without one. In zoology, this

3330-737: The generic name (or its abbreviated form) still forms the leading portion of the scientific name, for example, Canis lupus lupus for the Eurasian wolf subspecies, or as a botanical example, Hibiscus arnottianus ssp. immaculatus . Also, as visible in the above examples, the Latinised portions of the scientific names of genera and their included species (and infraspecies, where applicable) are, by convention, written in italics . The scientific names of virus species are descriptive, not binomial in form, and may or may not incorporate an indication of their containing genus; for example,

3404-538: The genus by Kjellesvig-Waering and Willard P. Leutze based on one chelicera, which is the holotype, two prosomas (head) and one metastoma. This species has been described as E. exophthalmus , from the Ludlow-Přídolí age in West Virginia. The prosoma is very long, with anterolateral compound eyes that are prominent, protuberant and elliptical. The chelicera is composed of a well preserved free ramus which retains

3478-419: The genus name with Erettopterus in 1859, although it would later be referred to as a species of Pterygotus . It is a very well known and very abundant species that since its original description has not received much attention, so it needs a redescription like other eurypterids to accommode a modern understanding of eurypterid systematics and evolution. The specific name bilobus refers to the bilobed telson of

3552-633: The largest component, with 23,236 ± 5,379 accepted genus names, of which 20,845 ± 4,494 are angiosperms (superclass Angiospermae). By comparison, the 2018 annual edition of the Catalogue of Life (estimated >90% complete, for extant species in the main) contains currently 175,363 "accepted" genus names for 1,744,204 living and 59,284 extinct species, also including genus names only (no species) for some groups. The number of species in genera varies considerably among taxonomic groups. For instance, among (non-avian) reptiles , which have about 1180 genera,

3626-404: The lizard genus Anolis has been suggested to be broken down into 8 or so different genera which would bring its ~400 species to smaller, more manageable subsets. Homonym (biology) In biology , a homonym is a name for a taxon that is identical in spelling to another such name, that belongs to a different taxon . The rule in the International Code of Zoological Nomenclature

3700-457: The metastoma was more oval than in E. osiliensis . In the 20th century, several species were described in Europe and the United States, extending the range of Erettopterus . In 1912, E. globiceps ( globiceps being Latin for "ball-" or "sphere-headed") from the Llandovery (Early Silurian) age in the United States was described by John Mason Clarke and Rudolf Ruedemann . It is so far

3774-403: The most (>300) have only 1 species, ~360 have between 2 and 4 species, 260 have 5–10 species, ~200 have 11–50 species, and only 27 genera have more than 50 species. However, some insect genera such as the bee genera Lasioglossum and Andrena have over 1000 species each. The largest flowering plant genus, Astragalus , contains over 3,000 species. Which species are assigned to a genus

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3848-428: The name could not be used for both. Johann Friedrich Blumenbach published the replacement name Ornithorhynchus in 1800. However, a genus in one kingdom is allowed to bear a scientific name that is in use as a generic name (or the name of a taxon in another rank) in a kingdom that is governed by a different nomenclature code. Names with the same form but applying to different taxa are called "homonyms". Although this

3922-421: The only pterygotids in the area. The holotype of E. serricaudatus consists of the fixed ramus with acute termination of a large chelicera. This species is remarkable due to the group of diagonal opposing teeth of the ramus. This species differs from E. osiliensis (species in which E. serricaudatus was erroneously included) by its outwardly bowed rami, unlike the straight rami of E. serricaudatus . In addition,

3996-541: The provisions of the ICZN Code, e.g., incorrect original or subsequent spellings, names published only in a thesis, and generic names published after 1930 with no type species indicated. According to "Glossary" section of the zoological Code, suppressed names (per published "Opinions" of the International Commission of Zoological Nomenclature) remain available but cannot be used as the valid name for

4070-511: The pterygotid eurypterids separates them into distinct ecological groups. The primary method for determining visual acuity in arthropods is by determining the number of lenses in their compound eyes and the interommatidial angle (shortened as IOA and referring to the angle between the optical axes of the adjacent lenses). The IOA is especially important as it can be used to distinguish different ecological roles in arthropods, being low in modern active arthropod predators. The vision of Erettopterus

4144-424: The pterygotids were clearly adapted to be used for active prey capture and more similar to the claws of some modern crustaceans , with well developed teeth on the claws, than to the chelicerae of other eurypterid groups. Another feature distinguishing the group from other eurypterid groups were their flattened and expanded telsons, likely used as rudders when swimming. The cheliceral morphology and visual acuity of

4218-488: The ramus is broken, but probably ended in a double tooth. This feature is also present in E. brodiei , only known from one specimen (FMNH 89411, located in the Field Museum of Natural History ) which consists of an uncrushed chela. Its specific name honors Peter Bellinger Brodie , whose collections of eurypterids have helped the scientific community. E. spatulatus is remarkable by its shovel-or fan-shaped telson, which

4292-450: The rest of the genera of the family Pterygotidae. Historically it was thought that Erettopterus had five joints in its chelicerae , but studies with complete specimens of Erettopterus and Acutiramus have revealed that the actual count appears to be four joints. The form of the chelicera within Erettopterus was very variable, but they were generally very long with small curved teeth without serrations. Its metastoma (a large plate that

4366-470: The same kind as other (analogous) genera. The term "genus" comes from Latin genus , a noun form cognate with gignere ('to bear; to give birth to'). The Swedish taxonomist Carl Linnaeus popularized its use in his 1753 Species Plantarum , but the French botanist Joseph Pitton de Tournefort (1656–1708) is considered "the founder of the modern concept of genera". The scientific name (or

4440-835: The same. The Norwegian E. vogti (honoring Thorolf Vogt , leader of the expeditions from 1925 to 1928 to Spitsbergen ) from the Lochkovian age and E. holmi from the Late Wenlock age were described in 1934 by Leif Størmer . In 1961, Kjellesvig-Waering raised Erettopterus to the level of its own genus, recognizing two subgenera of Pterygotus ; P. ( Pterygotus ) and P. ( Acutiramus ), as well as two subgenera of Erettopterus ; E. ( Erettopterus ) and E. ( Truncatiramus ). Additionally, he described four new English species, E. marstoni , E. spatulatus , E. megalodon and E. brodiei . E. marstoni (honoring Alfred Marston, responsible for several collections of fishes and eurypterids)

4514-408: The scientific epithet) of a genus is also called the generic name ; in modern style guides and science, it is always capitalised. It plays a fundamental role in binomial nomenclature , the system of naming organisms , where it is combined with the scientific name of a species : see Botanical name and Specific name (zoology) . The rules for the scientific names of organisms are laid down in

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4588-466: The shape and grouping of the teeth are completely different between them. The holotype of E. carinatus is the fragment of the base of a telson that measures 20 mm (0.8 in) in length and 13 mm (0.5 in) in width that indicates that the complete telson measured 40 mm (1.6 in) of estimated length, 20 mm (0.8 in) of maximum width. This species differs from others in having narrow lateral lobes, in having coarse striations on

4662-538: The smallest species of Erettopterus with only a length of 9 cm (3.5 in). The fossils of E. globiceps are rare and have been found in the Otisville fauna in the Shawangunk grit. The compound eyes are very large, occupying half the length of the carapace. This suggests that E. globiceps could reach larger sizes and that the specimens found represent juveniles in growth stage, and other specimens indicate

4736-650: The species have been found in the United States or Great Britain , although fossils have also been found in Canada , Scandinavia and Estonia . The type species and the only species described in Scotland, E. bilobus , was first found in Lesmahagow , Scotland, and described by John William Salter in 1856 as a species of Himantopterus (a name that is a junior homonym of a moth genus ), and Salter replaced

4810-496: The species. The English geologist Salter recognized in 1859 that it was possible to divide the genus Pterygotus based on the morphology of the telsons of the species that had been assigned to it. He divided Pterygotus into subgenera , including Pterygotus ( Erettopterus ) for species with a bilobed telson. The generic name is composed by the Ancient Greek words ἐρέττω ( eréttō , rower) and πτερόν ( pterón , wing), which

4884-497: The specific name particular to the wolf. A botanical example would be Hibiscus arnottianus , a particular species of the genus Hibiscus native to Hawaii. The specific name is written in lower-case and may be followed by subspecies names in zoology or a variety of infraspecific names in botany . When the generic name is already known from context, it may be shortened to its initial letter, for example, C. lupus in place of Canis lupus . Where species are further subdivided,

4958-412: The standard format for a species name comprises the generic name, indicating the genus to which the species belongs, followed by the specific epithet, which (within that genus) is unique to the species. For example, the gray wolf 's scientific name is Canis lupus , with Canis ( Latin for 'dog') being the generic name shared by the wolf's close relatives and lupus (Latin for 'wolf') being

5032-403: The taxon is termed a synonym ; some authors also include unavailable names in lists of synonyms as well as available names, such as misspellings, names previously published without fulfilling all of the requirements of the relevant nomenclatural code, and rejected or suppressed names. A particular genus name may have zero to many synonyms, the latter case generally if the genus has been known for

5106-576: The values quoted are the mean of "accepted" names alone (all "uncertain" names treated as unaccepted) and "accepted + uncertain" names (all "uncertain" names treated as accepted), with the associated range of uncertainty indicating these two extremes. Within Animalia, the largest phylum is Arthropoda , with 151,697 ± 33,160 accepted genus names, of which 114,387 ± 27,654 are insects (class Insecta). Within Plantae, Tracheophyta (vascular plants) make up

5180-429: The virus species " Salmonid herpesvirus 1 ", " Salmonid herpesvirus 2 " and " Salmonid herpesvirus 3 " are all within the genus Salmonivirus ; however, the genus to which the species with the formal names " Everglades virus " and " Ross River virus " are assigned is Alphavirus . As with scientific names at other ranks, in all groups other than viruses, names of genera may be cited with their authorities, typically in

5254-414: Was a predator with high visual acuity , but it was not as highly specialized or active as Jaekelopterus and Pterygotus , it was more like Slimonia acuminata , and probably used its enlarged chelicerae for grasping rather than a more specialized feeding. Erettopterus was a big eurypterid, with E. osiliensis , the largest species, measuring approximately 90 cm (35 in) in length. Though this

5328-446: Was broad, heart-shaped, narrow towards the back and truncated at the end. The rami end in a well-developed sharp and triangular point. E. laticauda was first described as a variety of E. osiliensis by the same author, but due to telson and metastoma differences, it was elevated to the species range. The telson of E. laticauda is very rounded, wide and without any serrations along the posterior part, unlike E. osiliensis . In addition,

5402-476: Was originally described as the carapace (the exoskeleton segment covering the head) of a gigantic Ceratiocaris (an extinct genus of phyllocarid from the Silurian), but it has been shown that the specimen represents the bilobed section of the telson (the most posterior segment of the body) of an Erettopterus . This incomplete telson indicates that the animal reached a size of 2.5 m (8 ft), but this

5476-456: Was similar to that of the more basal pterygotoid Slimonia and more acute than the more derived Acutiramus though was not as acute as the vision of apex predators Jaekelopterus and Pterygotus or modern active predatory arthropods. Additionally, the large chelicerae of Erettopterus suggest that it was a generalized feeder and not a highly specialized predator and that it used its chelicerae (frontal appendages) to grasp. The teeth on

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