Acutiramus
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Acutiramus Temporal range: Late Silurian–Early Devonian |
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| Illustration of Acutiramus cummingsi | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Subphylum: | Chelicerata |
| Class: | Merostomata |
| Order: | †Eurypterida |
| Superfamily: | †Pterygotioidea |
| Family: | †Pterygotidae |
| Genus: |
†Acutiramus Ruedemann, 1935 |
| Species | |
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See text |
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See text
Acutiramus is an extinct genus of eurypterid which lived in the Late Silurian (Ludlow) to Early Devonian.
Acutiramus is one of the largest eurypterids with pincers 5 cm and length about 2 m. The genus closely related to Pterygotus, of which several species were originally placed in, and to the giant Jaekelopterus.
Pterygotids, which lived from the Ordovician to Devonian periods, were characterized by small to large exoskeletons with semilunar scales. The telson, (tail) was expanded, or flatter than it was tall. Pterygotids also had chelicerae (claws in front of the mouth) that were large and long, with strong, well developed teeth on the claws. Their walking legs were small and slender, without spines.
Acutiramus is distinguishable from other pterygotids by the distal margin of the chelae, where the final tooth is at an acute angle to the rest of the claw (hence the name Acutiramus, or “acute arm”). The large tooth in the center of the claw is distally inclined, which is to say it points forwards. The prosoma (head) is subquadrate, with compound eyes located at the edge of the front corners. The telson has a low row of knobs running down its center.
Acutiramus cummingsi and Eurypterus remipes on display at Schiele Museum of Natural History, Gastonia, North Carolina
Acutiramus macrophthalmus found near Ilion, New York State on display at Royal Ontario Museum, Toronto
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