New fossil scorpion taxa

 

I have learned about two new articles on scorpion fossil taxa. The Scorpion Files only includes extant taxa, but here are the new fossil taxa reported in the two articles cited below.

New family:

Protochactidae Lourenço, Magnani & Stockar, 2022

New genus:

Protochactas Lourenço, Magnani & Stockar, 2022

New species:

Protochactas furreri Lourenço, Magnani & Stockar, 2022 (Limestone, Southern Alps)

Chaerilobuthus brandti Lourenço, 2022 (Amber, Myanmar)

Abstract:

Paper 1:
One new family, genus, and species of fossil scorpion are described from the Meride Limestone (Ladinian, Middle Triassic) of Monte San Giorgio (Southern Alps). This new discovery brings further evidence for the recovery of terrestrial forms of scorpions, following the Late-Permian mass extinction. The new fossil family proposed at present can, once again, be classified within extant familial groups; in this case the superfamily Chactoidea (sensu Lourenço). These results reinforce the proposition that modern scorpions may belong to lineages present at least for 240 Myr.

Paper 2:
A further new species of fossil scorpion belonging to the genus Chaerilobuthus Lourenço & Beigel, 2011 is described from Early Cretaceous Burmite. Chaerilobuthus brandti Lourenço sp. n., is the 12th species to be described for this genus confirming its speciose character. The new species equally shows quite distinct characters when compared to the previous known species, confirming therefore the existence of an important morphological variability within Chaerilobuthus.

References:

Paper 1:
Magnani F, Stockar R, Lourenço WR. A new family, genus and species of fossil scorpion from the Meride Limestone (Middle Triassic) of Monte San Giorgio (Switzerland). Faunitaxys. 2022;10(24):1-7. [Open Access]

Paper 2:
Lourenço WR, Velten J. The remarkable variability of the genus Chaerilobuthus Lourenço & Beigel, 2011 (Scorpiones: Chaerilobuthidae) and description of a new species from Early Cretaceous Burmite. Faunitaxys. 2022;10(10):1-6. [Open Access]

Thanks to Nicolas Machiavel for informing me about these two articles!