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Mazon Creek Whip Scorpion


Roby

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This middle Pennsylvanian concretion from Mazon Creek (Francis Creek Shale), was discovered in the fall of 2013 in the Mazon Creek Heritage Site. 
 
Whip Scorpion
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Arachnida
Order: Uropygi

Geralinura sp. 

 

Scorpion.thumb.JPG.014dbfa2936f79e2da94d8abab6d3906.JPG

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    Tim    -  VETERAN SHALE SPLITTER

   MOTM.png.61350469b02f439fd4d5d77c2c69da85.png      PaleoPartner.png.30c01982e09b0cc0b7d9d6a7a21f56c6.png.a600039856933851eeea617ca3f2d15f.png     Postmaster1.jpg.900efa599049929531fa81981f028e24.jpg    VFOTM.png.f1b09c78bf88298b009b0da14ef44cf0.png  VFOTM  --- APRIL - 2015  

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"In every walk with nature one receives far more than he seeks."

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That is fantastic!! I didn't know fossil vinegaroons were even a thing. (Now I'm afraid I might need one, better check my pockets for change :heartylaugh:) I actually keep one as a pet, so I declare this as the first ever Hobbes approved thread.20200105_232743.thumb.jpg.8f61108a099ccceb298705a497e37590.jpg

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  • 2 weeks later...

This shows that you don't need the 3+ inch perfectly round concretion for an amazing find!!  :envy:

Thanks for sharing with us!

 

I hate to be that guy, but aren't whip scorpions order uropygi not scorpionida?  

 

 

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5 hours ago, TheRocksWillShoutHisGlory said:

I hate to be that guy, but aren't whip scorpions order uropygi not scorpionida?  

This is true. 

 

 

Mark.

 

Fossil hunting is easy -- they don't run away when you shoot at them!

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5 hours ago, TheRocksWillShoutHisGlory said:

I hate to be that guy, but aren't whip scorpions order uropygi not scorpionida? 

You are correct.  The major difference is that uropygids do not have a stinging telson (the last segment of the abdomen).  They are sometimes called "vinegaroons" because they can secrete acetic acid as a defense.  I used to see them on my back porch in Tucson, where they were catching and eating native cockroaches.

 

Don

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Spectacular specimen! But how did you find out this is a whip scorpion? The fossil does not seem to preserve the part where either the "whip" or "scorpion tail" should be... what details am I missing?

Searching for green in the dark grey.

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3 hours ago, paleoflor said:

Spectacular specimen! But how did you find out this is a whip scorpion? The fossil does not seem to preserve the part where either the "whip" or "scorpion tail" should be... what details am I missing?

Actually the whip is not the only defining trait. Whip scorpions are not scorpions at all and are actually more closely related to spiders hence the body segmentation and overall shape are quite different.

Here's a picture of a true scorpion, as you can see the body is more of a smooth continuous shape that tapers in towards the tail. A whip scorpion on the other hand has a distinct thorax and abdomen that do not create a smooth continuous line.

scorpion-gty-er-191208_hpMain_16x9_992.jpg.40a14970656250b516db0ed3f1752267.jpg

Also in Roby's specimen towards the top you can see the base of the tail is preserved. That base, which the 'whip' protrudes from is what the animal uses to release its acetic acid and is not present on true scorpions.

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8 minutes ago, Misha said:

@Huntonia don't vinegaroons also have spiny crushing appendages instead of claws and two of their legs are modified for feeling around their environment?

Yes they do. They're mostly blind and typically live in caves, burrows or other dark places. Hence they depend on sensing vibrations in order to find prey, and avoid predators. Their front legs are modified to sense vibrations and to feel around their environment. It's quite fascinating to watch them tapping around at the ground, kind of like a blind man's walking stick. The 'whip' is also a sensory organ, it's covered in lots of tiny hairs that sense vibrations in the air. 

They do have claws but their arms are shorter and bulkier than scorpions, the actual claws are small and down't get much use but they are needed for grabbing prey. They have spiky crushing plates on their inner arms that they use once they have their prey to both restrain it during feeding and to crush it as necessary to consume.

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Were we looking for an ID since this is in the identification section? Did these originate as tiny concretions or were they trimmed?

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Yes, this is definitely a nice example of Geralinura.

They are very rare in the Mazon  Creek Deposit.

 

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12 minutes ago, Roby said:

Thanks RCfossil, too late to update to Geralinura.

How can it be too late to change a label?  Do you no longer have the specimen?

 

Don

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