The largest arthropod in Earth history: insights from newly discovered Arthropleura remains (Serpukhovian Stainmore Formation, Northumberland, England)
The largest arthropod in Earth history: insights from newly discovered Arthropleura remains (Serpukhovian Stainmore Formation, Northumberland, England)
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DOI：
10.1144/jgs2021-115
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发表时间：
2021-12
影响因子：
2.7
通讯作者：
N. Davies;R. Garwood;W. McMahon;J. Schneider;Anthony P. Shillito
中科院分区：
文献类型：
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作者：
N. Davies;R. Garwood;W. McMahon;J. Schneider;Anthony P. Shillito
节肢动物（Arthropleura）是一个巨型多足动物属，生活于早石炭世至早二叠世，其中一些个体的体长超过2米。虽然大多数已知的化石属是脱节的，主要出现在晚石炭世（宾夕法尼亚）地层，我们在这里报告部分关节关节Arthropleura仍然从早石炭世Algermore组（Serpukhovian; Pendleian）在英格兰北方的诺森伯兰盆地。这个76 × 36厘米的标本代表了一个蜕皮的一部分，值得注意的是，因为以前只知道两个关节连接的巨型节胸龙化石。它是已知最大的节肢动物化石之一，也是迄今为止发现的最大的节肢动物化石，是最早的（密西西比期）节肢动物化石证据，也是第一个在同一区域沉积序列中发现巨型节肢动物化石的例子。这些遗骸代表了12-14个前节胸膜背甲，其形式为部分填充沙子的背外骨骼。最初的生物体估计宽55厘米，长2.63米，重c。50公斤。该标本部分保存在细砂岩中的三维空间中，并因同沉积构造而适度变形。尽管保存不完善，但标本证实了节侧龙有一个坚韧的硬化外骨骼的假设。下三角洲平原沉积环境的沉积学证据支持的论点，Arthropleura优先占据开放的木本栖息地，而不是沼泽环境，它与四足动物共享这样的栖息地。当在所有其他全球性证据的背景下观察时，该标本有助于一个数据集，该数据集显示该属具有赤道限制的古地理范围，在晚古生代大气氧含量达到峰值之前实现了南极化，并且在晚石炭世的气候事件中相对不受影响，在二叠纪早期灭绝之前。补充材料：关节胸膜的3D网格模型图像可在https://doi.org/10.6084/m9.figshare.c.5715450上获得
Arthropleura is a genus of giant myriapods that ranged from the early Carboniferous to Early Permian, with some individuals attaining lengths >2 m. Although most of the known fossils of the genus are disarticulated and occur primarily in late Carboniferous (Pennsylvanian) strata, we report here partially articulated Arthropleura remains from the early Carboniferous Stainmore Formation (Serpukhovian; Pendleian) in the Northumberland Basin of northern England. This 76 × 36 cm specimen represents part of an exuvium and is notable because only two comparably articulated giant Arthropleura fossils are previously known. It represents one of the largest known arthropod fossils and the largest arthropleurid recovered to date, the earliest (Mississippian) body fossil evidence for gigantism in Arthropleura, and the first instance of a giant arthropleurid body fossil within the same regional sedimentary succession as the large arthropod trackway Diplichnites cuithensis. The remains represent 12–14 anterior Arthropleura tergites in the form of a partially sand-filled dorsal exoskeleton. The original organism is estimated to have been 55 cm in width and up to 2.63 m in length, weighing c. 50 kg. The specimen is preserved partially in three dimensions within fine sandstone and has been moderately deformed by synsedimentary tectonics. Despite imperfect preservation, the specimen corroborates the hypothesis that Arthropleura had a tough, sclerotized exoskeleton. Sedimentological evidence for a lower delta plain depositional environment supports the contention that Arthropleura preferentially occupied open woody habitats, rather than swampy environments, and that it shared such habitats with tetrapods. When viewed in the context of all the other global evidence for Arthropleura, the specimen contributes to a dataset that shows the genus had an equatorially restricted palaeogeographical range, achieved gigantism prior to late Paleozoic peaks in atmospheric oxygen, and was relatively unaffected by climatic events in the late Carboniferous, prior to its extinction in the early Permian. Supplementary material: Images of 3D mesh model of Arthropleura are available at https://doi.org/10.6084/m9.figshare.c.5715450