In Memoriam: Gérard Dupré (1947–2026) — A Life Devoted to the Study of Scorpions

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  Photo Credit: Le Parisien In Memoriam: Gérard Dupré (1947–2026) — A Life Devoted to the Study of Scorpions The passing of Gérard Dupré (1947–2026) is a deeply felt loss for those of us who share an interest in the study of scorpions and other arachnids. Throughout his life, he dedicated himself to documenting and preserving arachnological knowledge, contributing valuable work on scorpion taxonomy, distribution, and bibliography. His careful attention to the literature helped bring clarity and organization to a field whose history spans centuries and many languages. Gérard was also closely associated with the journal Arachnides , which became an important outlet for sharing research, faunistic records, and historical notes within the arachnological community. Through this work, he helped ensure that observations and studies—large and small—were preserved and made accessible to others with similar scientific interests. Beyond his scholarly contributions, Gérard was a humble and gen...

Possible estimate of litter size in palaeoburmesebuthid scorpions from Early Cretaceous Burmite (Chelicerata: Scorpiones)

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Possible estimate of litter size in palaeoburmesebuthid scorpions from Early Cretaceous Burmite (Chelicerata: Scorpiones)

Abstract 

In previous studies concerning litter size in extant buthoid species of scorpions it was suggested that a number of factors could directly be associated with litter size variation. Litter size should be directly proportional to the size of adult females but inversely proportional to the size of the embryos and pro-juveniles. The large body size of pro-juveniles at birth should be directly associated with a more complete embryonic development, leading to post-embryonic developments including smaller numbers of instars but with higher values ​​for the morphometric growths. For fossil scorpions and in particular those from Early Cretaceous nothing could be presumed until now. An original observation of pro-juvenile aggregation for Betaburmesebuthus suggests that for micro-buthoid fossil scorpions litter size was extremely reduced but composed of large embryos and pro-juveniles. 

Lourenço WR & Velten J., 2024. – Possible estimation of litter size in palaeoburmesebuthid scorpions from Early Cretaceous Burmite (Chelicerata: Scorpiones). Faunitaxys , 12(49): 1 – 4. 

https://hal.science/hal-04719088 - https://zoobank.org/5F279A52-DBD0-48CC-8BF4-F32BCF868CD6