Bunaia Explained

Bunaia is a genus of synziphosurine, a paraphyletic group of fossil chelicerate arthropods.[1] [2] Bunaia was tentatively placed as part of the clade Planaterga, however a 2024 study found it to be within Offacolidae instead.[3] The genus contains at least one species: Bunaia woodwardi from the Silurian period in Svalbard, Norway[4] [5] and the Bertie Group of Ontario [3]

Description

Initially, the species was known only from poorly preserved specimens composed of semicircular carapace, fragments of opisthosoma and disarticulated telson.[6] The aforementioned 2024 study described additional specimens, which revealed "a pair of elongated chelicerae in the prosoma, followed posteriorly by five pairs of biramous appendages, a first pre-abdomen somite bearing a pair of paddle-like uniramous appendages (exopods) and a ventral pretelsonic process."

Taxonomy

The placement of "Bunaia" heintzi (known only by a single carapace from the Silurian period in the United States) within this genus has been questioned.

Notes and References

  1. Lamsdell. James C.. 2013. Revised systematics of Palaeozoic 'horseshoe crabs' and the myth of monophyletic Xiphosura. Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society. 167. 1. 1–27. 10.1111/j.1096-3642.2012.00874.x. 0024-4082. free.
  2. Bicknell. Russell D. C.. Pates. Stephen. 2020. Pictorial Atlas of Fossil and Extant Horseshoe Crabs, With Focus on Xiphosurida. Frontiers in Earth Science. en. 8. 98. 10.3389/feart.2020.00098. 2020FrEaS...8...98B. 2296-6463. free.
  3. Lustri . Lorenzo . Antcliffe . Jonathan B. . Gueriau . Pierre . Daley . Allison C. . New specimens of Bunaia woodwardi Clarke, 1919 (Euchelicerata): a new member of Offacolidae providing insight supporting the Arachnomorpha . Royal Society Open Science . October 2024 . 11 . 10 . 10.1098/rsos.240499. 11524597 .
  4. Clarke. John M.. 1919-12-01. I.— Bunaia Woodwardi, a New Merostome from the Silurian Waterlimes of New York. Geological Magazine. 6. 12. 531–533. 10.1017/s0016756800202100. 1919GeoM....6..531C. 130214729 .
  5. Book: Dunlop. J. A.. World Spider Catalog. Penney. D.. Jekel. D.. Natural History Museum Bern. 2020. 1–296. A summary list of fossil spiders and their relatives. https://wsc.nmbe.ch/resources/fossils/Fossils20.5.pdf.
  6. Eldredge. Niles. Smith. LeGrande. 1974. Revision of the suborder Synziphosurina (Chelicerata, Merostomata) : with remarks on merostome phylogeny. American Museum novitates ; no. 2543. 2246/2745. en-US.

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