This is the "Fossil Friday" post #241. Expect this to be a somewhat regular feature of the website. We will post any fossil pictures you send in to [email protected]. Please include a short description or story. Check the #FossilFriday Twitter hash tag for contributions from around the world!
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Today, we have a very, very rare treat... a Graeophonus carbonatius from the Mazon River. This extinct genus of tailless whip scorpion (amblypygid) is known from just a few species from North America and England. Mazon Creek has five species of fossil amblypygi. Modern day amblypygids live in the tropics.
Graeophonus carbonatius was described by Samuel Hubbard Scudder in 1890. It was later renamed to Graeophonus scudderi by Reginald Innes Pocock in 1911, because he thought Scudder's two species were conspecific. Scudder (1837 - 1911) was an American entomologist and paleontologist. Scudder is considered the founder of insect paleontology in America. He is especially known for his work on butterflies (Lepidoptera), grasshoppers (Orthoptera), and fossil insects.
This gorgeous fossil was sent in by Dan Quasney. Dan seems to have a knack for finding rare fauna. You might remember his beautiful Rhabdoderma exiguum in Fossil Friday #210. Thanks for sharing this beautiful (and rare!) fossil, Dan!
