Melbournopterus is a genus of prehistoric chelicerate, known from the Upper Silurian of Australia. It is of uncertain taxonomic placement

Incertae sedis

, is a term used to define a taxonomic group where its broader relationships are unknown or undefined. Uncertainty at specific taxonomic levels is attributed by , , and similar terms.-Examples:*The fossil plant Paradinandra suecica could not be assigned to any...

 within the subphylum

Subphylum

In life, a subphylum is a taxonomic rank intermediate between phylum and superclass. The rank of subdivision in plants and fungi is equivalent to subphylum.Not all phyla are divided into subphyla...

 Chelicerata

Chelicerata

The subphylum Chelicerata constitutes one of the major subdivisions of the phylum Arthropoda, and includes horseshoe crabs, scorpions, spiders and mites...

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Description

Melbournopterus is distinguished by its prosoma (head), which is bell-shaped and emarginate in front, with subrectangular compound eyes located posteriorly on the prosoma, which strongly converge anteriorly. It was small in size, and its abdomen and appendages are unknown.

Species

• Melbournopterus Caster & Kjellesvig-Waering, 1953
  • M. crossotus, Caster & Kjellesvig-Waering, 1953, Upper Silurian, Australia