Topic
Palaeophonus
About: Palaeophonus is a research topic. Over the lifetime, 3 publications have been published within this topic receiving 8 citations.
Papers
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors described the geological features of this group of fossiliferous Silurian strata, known to all who are interested in Scottish palaeontology.
Abstract: In two previous papers read to the Society * I referred to the results of former expeditions to the Logan Water district in the Lesmahagow hills, and I then described the geological features of this group of fossiliferous Silurian strata, known to all who are interested in Scottish palaeontology. In June, 1883, I started on another expedition to Logan Water, under canvas, and for the first few days experienced weather wet and stormy enough to try the patience of the oldest campaigner. Nor were the rocks more favourable to us than the elements, and our earliest explorations were absolutely barren of results. But patience and perseverance conquer many difficulties, so after a visit home to procure dry clothing, we set to work with renewed vigour to open up a new horizon. Here a splendid specimen of an organism which appeared to be entirely new to me was turned out. Its curious comb-like structure suggested strongly to my mind the fact that it bore a great and general resemblance to a recent Scorpion. Soon after plant remains were discovered on the same horizon, and the probability became all the stronger that here we had disentombed a land-inhabiting and air-breathing animal from a lower position in the earth’s crust than any previously known to us. If this supposition proved correct, here was a find surpassing any of my former discoveries in the Logan Water Silurians, and rendering the hardships we had undergone as nothing in comparison. Later in the year, when I had
6 citations
TL;DR: For instance, the authors describes the discovery of a Scorpion-like structure in the Silurian, Old Red Sandstone, and Carboniferous rocks in Lesmahagow, Lanarkshire.
Abstract: Few places exist that present so rich a field of geological enquiry as does the Upper Ward of Lanarkshire, and in none certainly are the facilities so great to study the varied phenomena of a large class of formations, and the parish of Lesmahagow stands without a rival; her monuments exist, and show forth many revelations in physical geography, and the wondrous succession and development of organic remains which once had their joy of life, and whose fossil remains, found in the Silurian, Old Red Sandstone, and Carboniferous rocks, waken up emotions that none but a leal geologist can have or comprehend. The district of Logan Water still keeps to the front, both in its geological phenomena, as well as from its palaeontological treasures. Early in June 1883, in company with two men, who were to do the most of the manual labour in excavating the silurian rocks, we made again a commencement of our labours, and after making extended explorations which lasted for six weeks, we were fortunate in finding a strange and interesting specimen which was new to me, and certainly was the finest which had ever been got during long years of laborious work which had been done in our favourite silurian hunting-ground. In examining the details of structure seen in the specimen, it occurred to me that it was a Scorpion, and presented the curious comb-like structure in position, as seen in more recent and living specimens; and I can assure you I was greatly delighted
4 citations
TL;DR: In this paper, the discovery of a scorpion in the Upper Silurian beds of Swedish Island, Gothland has been described in detail by Professor Tamerlau Thorell, the eminent author of several works on recent scorpions.
Abstract: In his paper on the ‶Fossil Scorpions of Scotland,″1 Mr B. N. Peach has said: ‶The dawn of the scorpion family must have been at a much earlier period,2 and we may hope that their remains may yet turn up in the Devonian and Silurian plant-beds.″ This hope has now been fulfilled, since I have discovered a scorpion in the Upper Silurian beds of the Swedish Island, Gothland. It was found near the town of Wisby, not far from its southern walls, in a thin bed of shale or clay, which was previously known to be rich in remains of Pterygoti, Annelida, Brachiopoda, Trilobites, &c.
The scorpion, a photograph of which, twice the natural size, is subjoined, will be described in detail by Professor Tamerlau Thorell, the eminent author of several works on recent Scorpions, in a joint paper with me. For the present, I give a few preliminary remarks on it, for as their own strata contain so many important species of fossil scorpions, it may be of special interest to Scottish naturalists.
The Gothland fossil consists entirely of the thin chitinous coating of the animal, which had apparently been entombed in the stratum after all soft animal tissues had been dissolved. It has consequently suffered much through the pressure of the superimposed limestone strata, and has been much folded and wrinkled. The colour is brownish yellow and chestnut, and agrees thus with that of recent scorpions. The main parts of the body agree also with theirs. We find
1 citations
Related Topics (5)
Performance Metrics
| Year | Papers |
|---|---|
| 1887 | 2 |
| 1886 | 1 |