Open Access. Powered by Scholars. Published by Universities.®

Biodiversity Commons

Open Access. Powered by Scholars. Published by Universities.®

Victor Fet

Phylogeny

Articles 1 - 2 of 2

Full-Text Articles in Biodiversity

The Scorpion Sternum: Structure And Phylogeny (Scorpiones: Orthosterni), Michael E. Soleglad, Victor Fet Dec 2016

The Scorpion Sternum: Structure And Phylogeny (Scorpiones: Orthosterni), Michael E. Soleglad, Victor Fet

Victor Fet

The structure of the sternum of all major Recent scorpion groups is analyzed in detail. Based on this analysis, two fundamental sternum types are identified, described and illustrated, type 1 and type 2. These sternum types are distinguished by criteria based on external and internal structural features. The sternum types described herein are offered as a replacement for the various characterizations used throughout the last 140 years which emphasize only gross overall shape and proportions. Phylogenetic and taxonomic ramifications of these new sternal types are discussed. The Carboniferous fossil scorpion Palaeopisthacanthus schucherti Petrunkevitch is assigned to sternum type 1. The …


High-Level Systematics And Phylogeny Of The Extant Scorpions (Scorpiones: Orthosterni), Michael E. Soleglad, Victor Fet Dec 2016

High-Level Systematics And Phylogeny Of The Extant Scorpions (Scorpiones: Orthosterni), Michael E. Soleglad, Victor Fet

Victor Fet

A number of authors (e. g. Birula, 1917a, 1917b; Mello-Leitão, 1945; Stockwell, 1989) addressed above-level systematics of extant scorpions, and accepted the grouping of scorpion families in several superfamilies. At the same time, Kjellesvig-Waering (1986) classified all extant scorpions under the same superfamily, Scorpionoidea. Sissom (1990) and Fet et al. (2000) did not list any superfamilies, considering the systematic situation above family (and often at the family level as well) unresolved. Most recently, Lourenço (2000a) listed six superfamilies, largely following the unpublished but important study of Stockwell (1989). The goal of this paper is to address scorpion systematics and phylogeny …