The fossil history of the smaller arachnid orders Abstract The fossil record of the six living smaller arachnid orders is reviewed. Palpigradi (palpigrades) are represented by two fossil species, respectively from the mid-Cretaceous Burmese amber of Myanmar and the Pliocene Onyx Marble of the USA. Solifugae (camel spiders) are known from six unequivocal species from the Late Carboniferous Coal Measures of the USA, the Early Cretaceous Crato Formation of Brazil, the slightly younger Burmese amber, from Baltic amber (Paleogene: Eocene) and from Dominican amber (Neogene: Miocene). Ricinulei (ricinuleids), with twenty-three fossil species in total, are surprisingly diverse in Northern hemisphere Coal Measures and Cretaceous Burmese amber, but do not occur in younger ambers. Amblypygi (whip spiders) first occur unequivocally in the Coal Measures. There are thirteen fossils in total, with further records from the Crato Formation and in Burmese amber, as well as in the Indian Cambay amb...
- Get link
- X
- Other Apps
