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,[1][3][2] however a 2024 study found it to be within Offacolidae instead.[4] The genus contains at least one species: Bunaia woodwardi from the Silurian period in Svalbard, Norway.[5][3]
| Bunaia Temporal range:
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|---|---|
Scientific classification 
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| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Subphylum: | Chelicerata |
| Family: | †Offacolidae |
| Genus: | †Bunaia Clarke, 1919 |
| Type species | |
| †Bunaia woodwardi Clarke, 1919
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| Species | |
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Description
editInitially, the species was known only from poorly preserved specimens composed of semicircular carapace, fragments of opisthosoma and disarticulated telson.[5][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."[4]
Taxonomy
editThe placement of "Bunaia" heintzi (known only by a single carapace from the Silurian period in the United States) within this genus has been questioned.[6]
References
edit- ^ a b 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. doi:10.1111/j.1096-3642.2012.00874.x. ISSN 0024-4082.
- ^ a b Bicknell, Russell D. C.; Pates, Stephen (2020). "Pictorial Atlas of Fossil and Extant Horseshoe Crabs, With Focus on Xiphosurida". Frontiers in Earth Science. 8: 98. Bibcode:2020FrEaS...8...98B. doi:10.3389/feart.2020.00098. ISSN 2296-6463.
- ^ a b Dunlop, J. A.; Penney, D.; Jekel, D. (2020). "A summary list of fossil spiders and their relatives" (PDF). World Spider Catalog. Natural History Museum Bern. pp. 1–296.
- ^ a b Lustri, Lorenzo; Antcliffe, Jonathan B.; Gueriau, Pierre; Daley, Allison C. (October 2024). "New specimens of Bunaia woodwardi Clarke, 1919 (Euchelicerata): a new member of Offacolidae providing insight supporting the Arachnomorpha". Royal Society Open Science. 11 (10). doi:10.1098/rsos.240499. PMC 11524597.
- ^ a b 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. Bibcode:1919GeoM....6..531C. doi:10.1017/s0016756800202100. S2CID 130214729.
- ^ a b Eldredge, Niles; Smith, LeGrande (1974). "Revision of the suborder Synziphosurina (Chelicerata, Merostomata) : with remarks on merostome phylogeny. American Museum novitates ; no. 2543". hdl:2246/2745.
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