Austrolimulidae
Extinct family of arthropods
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Austrolimulidae is an extinct family of xiphosurans belonging to the infraorder Limulina. Members of the family are known from the Permian to the beginning of the Jurassic, though one possible species has been reported from the end of the Cretaceous. Austrolimulids are known for amongst the most extreme morphologies among xiphosurans, including large elongated genal spines. Unlike living living horseshoe crabs (Limulidae), austrolimulids were likely adapted for freshwater and brackish environments. The large genal spines may have helped austrolimulids move in areas of unidirectional current, such as rivers.[1] They are considered to be the sister group to Limulidae.[2]
| Austrolimulidae Temporal range: | |
|---|---|
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| Fossils of Austrolimulus (top), Tasmaniolimulus patersoni (left), and Dubbolimulus (right) | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Subphylum: | Chelicerata |
| Order: | Xiphosura |
| Superfamily: | Limuloidea |
| Family: | †Austrolimulidae Riek, 1955 |
Genera
- †Austrolimulus Riek, 1955 Triassic, Beacon Hill Shale, NSW, Australia
- †Attenborolimulus Bicknell, 2021 Triassic (Olenekian), Petropavlovka Formation, Cis-Urals, Russia[3]
- †Batracholimulus Wilde, 1987 Triassic (Rhaetian), Exter Formation, Germany
- †Boeotiaspis Lamsdell, 2020 Carboniferous, United States (Jr. synonym)[2]
- †?Casterolimulus Holland, Erickson & O'Brien, 1975 Late Cretaceous (Maastrichtian) Fox Hills Formation, North Dakota, USA (Inconsistently placed in this family)
- †Dubbolimulus Pickett 1984 Middle Triassic (Anisian) Napperby Formation, Australia
- †Franconiolimulus Bicknell, Hecker & Heyng, 2021[4] Early Jurassic (Hettangian) Bayreuth Formation, Germany
- †Limulitella Schimper 1853 Middle Triassic (Anisian), Grés á Voltzia Formation, France
- †Panduralimulus Allen and Feldmann 2005 Early Permian (Kungurian), Lueders Formation, Texas, USA
- †Psammolimulus Lange 1923 Early-Middle Triassic, Solling Formation, Germany
- †Tasmaniolimulus Bicknell, 2019[5] Early Triassic,[6] Jackey Shale, Tasmania, Australia
- †Vaderlimulus Lerner, Lucas and Lockley, 2017[7] Early Triassic (Olenekian) Thaynes Group, Idaho, USA
