Eophrynus

Eophrynus Temporal range: Late Carboniferous, 318–299Ma PreꞒ Ꞓ O S D C P T J K Pg N
Fossil
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Arthropoda
Class:	Arachnida
Order:	†Trigonotarbida
Family:	†Eophrynidae
Genus:	† Eophrynus Woodward, 1871
Species
E. prestvicii Buckland, 1837 E. udus Brauckmann, Koch & Kemper, 1985

Eophrynus is an extinct genus of arachnids from the trigonotarbid group, which lived during the Late Carboniferous period in Europe. The genus was first described in 1871 by Henry Woodward (geologist).^[1] The name comes from Eo, meaning 'dawn', and Phrynus, a genus of living whip spider (Amblypygi).

Two species have been recognised:

• Eophrynus prestvicii in England
• Eophrynus udus in Germany

Eophrynus were similar to modern spiders but could not produce silk and the back-half of their body was made up of small plates.^[2]

The English species, E. prestvici, is known from a handful of good quality fossils preserved inside siderite concrections. Recent x-ray imaging revealed that these arachnids were covered by protective spikes.^[2]

References