Weinbergina Temporal range: Devonian PreꞒ Ꞓ O S D C P T J K Pg N
Fossil of Weinbergina opitzi, Naturmuseum Senckenberg
Reconstruction
Scientific classification
Domain:	Eukaryota
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Arthropoda
Subphylum:	Chelicerata
Clade:	Euchelicerata
Clade:	Prosomapoda
Genus:	† Weinbergina Richter & Richter, 1929
Type species
†Weinbergina opitzi Richter & Richter, 1929

Weinbergina is a genus of synziphosurine, ^{[1] [2]} a paraphyletic group of fossil chelicerate arthropods. ^{[3] [4]} Fossils of the single and type species, W. opitzi, have been discovered in deposits of the Devonian period in the Hunsrück Slate, Germany. ^[2]

Morphology

Weinbergina is a relatively large synziphosurine, ranging about 7 cm to 10 cm in full body length. ^[2] The prosoma is covered by a semicircular carapace with blunt genal cornua (posterolateral corners). ^[2] There is possible evidence of lateral eyes located just below the ophthalmic ridges. ^[1] The opisthosoma is externally 10-segmented, expressed by tergites that possess blunt tergopleurae (lateral extension) and axial nodes. However, the opisthosoma is most likely 11-segmented in origin, ^[5] with the first segment being highly reduced (a synapomorphy of euchelicerates ^[3]) and possibly covered by the preceding carapace. ^{[1] [2]} The last 3 segments form a narrow postabdomen and lacking lateral nodes. ^{[1] [2]}

Compared to other synziphosurines with only scarce or no discovery of any evidence of appendages, the appendages of Weinbergina are exceptionally well-preserved in many described fossil materials. ^{[1] [2]} Underneath the carapace are small chelicerae and pairs of well-developed, 8-segmented walking legs. ^{[1] [2]} Each of the distal leg podomeres (segmental units) bore numerous spines-like projections, forming a snow-shoe-like termination. ^{[1] [2]} The opisthosoma possess (possibly 6 ^[5]) pairs of opercula with setose distal regions and possible evidence of book gills. ^{[1] [2]}

Based on the interpretation of Stürmer & Bergström (1981) and Moore, Briggs & Bartels (2005), Weinbergina is unusual in having 6 pairs of walking legs instead of 5 or less like those of other euchelicerates. ^{[1] [2] [5]} The additional 6th leg pair was regarded to be originated from somite 7 (1st opisthosomal segment), thus homologous with the chilaria of horseshoe crab, metastoma of dekatriatan and 4th walking legs of sea spider. ^{[2] [3] [5]} However, the twelve-legged interpretation is not universally accepted - for example, Weinbergina was originally described as ten-legged like extant horseshoe crab; ^[2] Selden, Lamsdell & Qi (2015) noted that the structures previously identified as distal regions of walking legs may be in fact leg-like exopods like those of Offacolus and Dibasterium. ^{[6] [5]}

Paleoecology

Weinbergina may have been a benthic animal with some degree of swimming ability, similar to modern horseshoe crabs. ^[1] However, the lack of doublure (ventral thickening run through the margin of carapace) suggests that Weinbergina is not adapted for a sediment-dwelling lifestyle as seen in the modern horseshoe crab. ^[1] The legs with snow-shoe-like terminations instead of chela (pincer) are also more adapted for walking on fine-grained surface instead of searching food items beneath the sediment. ^{[1] [2]}

Classification

With Weinbergina as type genus, Weinbergina, Legrandella and Willwerathia were once united under the single family Weinberginidae, ^[2] an interpretation which is not recovered by later phylogenetic analysis. ^{[6] [7] [8]} After the revision of relationship between synziphosurines and other euchelicerates done by Lamsdell 2013, ^[3] Weinbergina was regarded as the basalmost member of Prosomapoda, a clade that included all euchelicerates except Offacolus and Dibasterium. ^{[6] [7] [9] [8] [4] [10]}

References