View source for Biology:Austrolimulidae

{{short description|Extinct family of arthropods}}
{{automatic taxobox
| fossil_range = {{fossilrange|Kungurian|Hettangian|latest=Maastrichtian}}
| image = Feart-08-00098-g024.jpg
| image_caption = Fossils of ''[[Biology:Austrolimulus|Austrolimulus]]'' (top), ''Tasmaniolimulus'' (left), and ''Dubbolimulus'' (right)
| taxon = Austrolimulidae
| authority = Riek, 1955
}}

'''Austrolimulidae''' is an extinct family of [[Biology:Xiphosura|horseshoe crabs]] belonging to the infraorder Limulina. Members of the family are known from the [[Earth:Permian|Permian]] to the beginning of the [[Earth:Jurassic|Jurassic]], though one species has been reported from the end of the [[Earth:Cretaceous|Cretaceous]]. Austrolimulids are known for amongst the most extreme morphologies among Xiphosurids, including large elongated genal spines. Unlike living Limulids, Austrolimulids were likely adapted for freshwater and brackish environments.<ref>{{Cite journal|last1=Bicknell|first1=Russell D. C.|last2=Pates|first2=Stephen|date=2020|title=Pictorial Atlas of Fossil and Extant Horseshoe Crabs, With Focus on Xiphosurida|journal=Frontiers in Earth Science|language=English|volume=8|page=98|doi=10.3389/feart.2020.00098|bibcode=2020FrEaS...8...98B|issn=2296-6463|doi-access=free}}</ref> They are considered to be the sister group to [[Biology:Limulidae|Limulidae]], the group that contains all modern horseshoe crabs.<ref name="Lamsdell" />

== Genera ==

* †''[[Biology:Austrolimulus|Austrolimulus]]'' Riek, 1955 Triassic, Beacon Hill Shale, NSW, {{wipe|Australia}}
* †''[[Biology:Attenborolimulus|Attenborolimulus]]'' Bicknell, 2021 Triassic (Olenekian), Petropavlovka Formation, Cis-Urals, {{wipe|Russia}}<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Bicknell |first1=Russell D. C. |last2=Shcherbakov |first2=Dmitry E. |date=30 June 2021 |title=New austrolimulid from Russia supports role of Early Triassic horseshoe crabs as opportunistic taxa |journal=PeerJ |volume=9 |pages=e11709 |doi=10.7717/peerj.11709 |pmid=34249518 |pmc=8254475 |issn=2167-8359 |doi-access=free }}</ref>
* †''Batracholimulus'' Wilde, 1987 Triassic (Rhaetian), [[Earth:Exter Formation|Exter Formation]], Germany
* †''Boeotiaspis'' Lamsdell, 2020 [[Earth:Carboniferous|Carboniferous]], United States (Jr. synonym)<ref name=Lamsdell>{{cite journal|url=https://www.academia.edu/57901379|author=Lamsdell, James C.|title=The phylogeny and systematics of Xiphosura|journal=PeerJ|year=2020|volume=8|pages=e10431|doi=10.7717/peerj.10431|pmid=33335810|pmc=7720731 |doi-access=free }}</ref>
* †''[[Biology:Casterolimulus|Casterolimulus]]'' Holland, Erickson & O'Brien, 1975 Late Cretaceous ([[Earth:Maastrichtian|Maastrichtian]]) Fox Hills Formation, North Dakota, USA (Inconsistently placed in this family)
* †''Dubbolimulus'' Pickett 1984 Middle Triassic (Anisian) Napperby Formation, Australia
*†''Franconiolimulus'' Bicknell, Hecker & Heyng, 2021<ref>{{Cite journal|last1=Bicknell|first1=Russell D. C.|last2=Hecker|first2=Andreas|last3=Heyng|first3=Alexander M.|date=2021-02-11|title=New horseshoe crab fossil from Germany demonstrates post-Triassic extinction of Austrolimulidae|url=https://www.cambridge.org/core/product/identifier/S0016756820001478/type/journal_article|journal=Geological Magazine|volume=158|issue=8|language=en|pages=1461–1471|doi=10.1017/S0016756820001478|bibcode=2021GeoM..158.1461B|s2cid=233937535|issn=0016-7568}}</ref> Early Jurassic (Hettangian) {{Interlanguage link|Bayreuth Formation|de}}, Germany
* †''Limulitella'' Schimper 1853 Middle Triassic (Anisian), Grés á Voltzia Formation, France
* †''Panduralimulus'' Allen and Feldmann 2005 Early Permian ([[Earth:Kungurian|Kungurian]]),  Lueders Formation, Texas, USA
* †''Psammolimulus'' Lange 1923 Early-Middle Triassic, [[Earth:Solling Formation|Solling Formation]], Germany
* †''Tasmaniolimulus'' Bicknell, 2019<ref>{{Cite journal|last=Bicknell|first=Russell D. C.|date=2019-10-13|title=Xiphosurid from the Upper Permian of Tasmania confirms Palaeozoic origin of Austrolimulidae|url=https://palaeo-electronica.org/content/2019/2758-a-permian-austrolimulid|journal=Palaeontologia Electronica|language=English|volume=22|issue=3|pages=1–13|doi=10.26879/1005|issn=1094-8074|doi-access=free}}</ref> Early Triassic,<ref>{{Cite journal|last1=Bicknell |first1=R. D. C. |last2=Smith |first2=P. M. |last3=Brougham |first3=T. |last4=Bevitt |first4=J. J. |year=2022 |title=An earliest Triassic age for ''Tasmaniolimulus'' and comments on synchrotron tomography of Gondwanan horseshoe crabs |journal=PeerJ |volume=10 |pages=e13326 |doi=10.7717/peerj.13326 |pmid=35480564  |pmc=9037155 |doi-access=free }}</ref> Jackey Shale, Tasmania, Australia
* †''[[Biology:Vaderlimulus|Vaderlimulus]]'' Lerner, Lucas and Lockley, 2017<ref>{{Cite journal|last1=Lerner|first1=Allan J.|last2=Lucas|first2=Spencer G.|last3=Lockley|first3=Martin|date=2017-12-01|title=First fossil horseshoe crab (Xiphosurida) from the Triassic of North America|url=https://www.schweizerbart.de/papers/njgpa/detail/286/88255/First_fossil_horseshoe_crab_Xiphosurida_from_the_T?af=crossref|journal=Neues Jahrbuch für Geologie und Paläontologie - Abhandlungen|volume=286|issue=3|language=en|pages=289–302|doi=10.1127/njgpa/2017/0702}}</ref> Early Triassic (Olenekian) Thaynes Group, Idaho, USA

==References==
{{reflist}}

{{Taxonbar|from=Q15260340}}

[[Category:Xiphosura]]

{{Sourceattribution|Austrolimulidae}}