Palaeozoic fossils of whip scorpions are extremely rare, with only seven species fully described. In a new study published in the Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society, PhD candidate Richard Knecht (Naomi Pierce, Advisor) and co-authors describe two new species of whip scorpions from the Carboniferous Narragansett Basin of Massachusetts.
At 34mm long, the first fossil, Parilisthelyphonus bryantae, is the largest known Palaeozoic whip scorpion and the first fossil arachnid to be found in the Rhode Island Formation in approximately 130 years. The second fossil, Inmontibusichnus charleshenryturneri, is a whip scorpion trace fossil, comprising a full-body impression and associated tracks from the subjacent Wamsutta Formation of Massachusetts. Inmontibusichnus is the first of its kind in the fossil record and, with an estimated body length of less than 10 mm, it is the smallest known Palaeozoic whip scorpion.
These discoveries within the Narragansett Basin represent only the second site in the western hemisphere, in what was western Laurasia, to yield Palaeozoic whip scorpions. “The Narragansett Basin is of significant Pangaean biogeographical importance among whip scorpion sites, being located between the westernmost Mazon Creek Lagerstätte of Illinois and the eastern assemblage of localities in Europe,” said Knecht, “it serves as an important new fossil calibration point for phylogenetic studies of this arachnid group.”
Parilisthelyphonus bryantae is named in honor of the late American arachnologist Elizabeth Bangs Bryant (1875–1953). Known for her studies of New England and Caribbean spiders, Bryant worked at the Museum of Comparative Zoology for over 50 years (1898–1950). She made significant contributions to the field of arachnology authoring 38 publications at a time when women were often discouraged from participating in scientific pursuits.
Inmontibusichnus charleshenryturneri is named in honor of the late African American zoologist Charles Henry Turner (1867–1923), best known for his work as an early pioneer in the field of social insect behavior. Turner faced numerous obstacles due to racism, including restrictions and access to laboratories and research libraries, not being allowed to have students at the undergraduate or graduate level, limited academic employment opportunities, and low pay. Despite these many challenges, he managed to publish more than 70 papers including three in Science (the first African American to be published in this journal) and made many significant contributions in his lifetime.