The Early Devonian eurypterid Leiopterella tetliei from Arctic Canada

• Published in: Canadian Journal of Earth Sciences
• Main Authors: Braddy, Simon J., Dunlop, Jason A., Bonsor, Joseph A.
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: Canadian Science Publishing 2021
• Subjects: General Earth and Planetary Sciences; Arctic; Nunavut; Canada
• Online Access: http://dx.doi.org/10.1139/cjes-2021-0015; https://cdnsciencepub.com/doi/full-xml/10.1139/cjes-2021-0015; https://cdnsciencepub.com/doi/pdf/10.1139/cjes-2021-0015

The stylonurid eurypterid Leiopterella tetliei Lamsdell, Braddy, Loeffler, and Dineley, 2010 (Chelicerata: Eurypterida: Rhenopteridae) from the Early Devonian (Lochkovian) of Nunavut in Arctic Canada is redescribed. Restudy of the holotype under polarized light revealed a labrum, epistomal sutures, prosomal appendage III, and deltoid plates anterior to the genital appendage. An additional new specimen preserves the distal podomeres of appendage VI and gradually tapering opisthosomal tergites. The characters resolved here support the hypothesis that L. tetliei was relatively basal within the wider Stylonurina clade, with its tapering postabdomen supporting a more basal position within Rhenopteridae than previously suggested.