Phalangiotarbi is an extinct arachnid order first recorded from the Early Devonian of Germany

Germany

Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...

 and most widespread in the Upper Carboniferous

Carboniferous

The Carboniferous is a geologic period and system that extends from the end of the Devonian Period, about 359.2 ± 2.5 Mya , to the beginning of the Permian Period, about 299.0 ± 0.8 Mya . The name is derived from the Latin word for coal, carbo. Carboniferous means "coal-bearing"...

 Coal measures

Coal Measures

The Coal Measures is a lithostratigraphical term for the coal-bearing part of the Upper Carboniferous System. It represents the remains of fluvio-deltaic sediment, and consists mainly of clastic rocks interstratified with the beds of coal...

 of Europe

Europe

Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...

 and North America

North America

North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...

. The last species are known fron the early Permian

Permian

The PermianThe term "Permian" was introduced into geology in 1841 by Sir Sir R. I. Murchison, president of the Geological Society of London, who identified typical strata in extensive Russian explorations undertaken with Edouard de Verneuil; Murchison asserted in 1841 that he named his "Permian...

 Rotliegendof Germany.

The affinities of phalangiotarbids are obscure, with most authors favouring affinities with Opiliones

Opiliones

Opiliones are an order of arachnids commonly known as harvestmen. , over 6,400 species of harvestmen have been discovered worldwide, although the real number of extant species may exceed 10,000. The order Opiliones can be divided into four suborders: Cyphophthalmi, Eupnoi, Dyspnoi and Laniatores...

 (harvestmen) and/or Acari (mites and ticks). Phalangiotarbida has been recently proposed to be sister group to (Palpigradi+Tetrapulmonata

Tetrapulmonata

Tetrapulmonata is a non-ranked supra-ordinal group of arachnids. It is composed of Thelyphonida, Schizomida, Amblypygi and Araneae.-Etymology:...

): the taxon Megoperculata sensu Shultz (1990).

Nemastomoides depressus, described as a harvestman in the family Nemastomoididae

Nemastomoididae

Nemastomoides is an extinct genus of harvestmen known from the Carboniferous fossil record. The genus is the only member of the family Nemastomoididae and contains three described species...

, is actually a poorly preserved phalangiotarbid.

Names

The order is also called Phalangiotarbida, the ending -ida originated when Petrunkevitch

Alexander Petrunkevitch

Alexander Ivanovitch Petrunkevitch was an eminent arachnologist of his time. From 1910 to 1939 he described over 130 spider species.-Biography:...

 (1955) tried to standardize the endings of the arachnid orders, which is unnecessary and unwarranted according to the ICZN

International Code of Zoological Nomenclature

The International Code of Zoological Nomenclature is a widely accepted convention in zoology that rules the formal scientific naming of organisms treated as animals...

. Nevertheless, Phalangiotarbida has become the more widespread usage in the recent literature.

Architarbi Petrunkevitch

Alexander Petrunkevitch

Alexander Ivanovitch Petrunkevitch was an eminent arachnologist of his time. From 1910 to 1939 he described over 130 spider species.-Biography:...

, 1945 is a synonym.

Taxa included

• Family Anthracotarbidae Kjellesvig-Waering, 1969
  • Genus Anthracotarbus Kjellesvig-Waering, 1969
    • Species Anthracotarbus hintoni Kjellesvig-Waering, 1969
• Family Architarbidae Karsch, 1882
  • Genus Architarbus Scudder
    Samuel Hubbard Scudder
    Samuel Hubbard Scudder was an American entomologist and palaeontologist.Born in Boston, Massachusetts, Scudder may be most widely known for his essay on the importance of first-hand, careful observation in the natural sciences...
    
    , 1868
    • Species Architarbus hoffmanni Guthörl, 1934 (Jr synonyms Opiliotarbus kliveri Waterlot, 1934; Goniotarbus sarana Guthörl, 1965)
    • Species Architarbus minor Petrunkevitch
      Alexander Petrunkevitch
      Alexander Ivanovitch Petrunkevitch was an eminent arachnologist of his time. From 1910 to 1939 he described over 130 spider species.-Biography:...
      
      , 1913
    • Species Architarbus rotundatus Scudder, 1868
  • Bornatarbus Rößler & Schneider, 1997
    • • Species Bornatarbus mayasii (Haupt in Nindel, 1955)
  • Genus Devonotarbus Poschmann, Anderson & Dunlop, 2005
    • Species Devonotarbus hombachensis Poschmann, Anderson & Dunlop, 2005
  • Genus Discotarbus Petrunkevitch, 1913
    • Species Discotarbus deplanatus Petrunkevitch, 1913
  • Genus Geratarbus Scudder, 1890
    • Species Geratarbus lacoei Scudder, 1890
    • Species Geratarbus bohemicusPetrunkevitch, 1953
  • Genus Goniotarbus Petrunkevitch, 1953
    • Species Goniotarbus angulatus (Pocock
      Reginald Innes Pocock
      Reginald Innes Pocock F.R.S. was a British zoologist.Pocock was born in Clifton, Bristol, the fourth son of Rev. Nicholas Pocock and Edith Prichard. He began showing interest in natural history at St. Edward's School, Oxford. He received tutoring in zoology from Sir Edward Poulton, and was allowed...
      
      , 1911)
    • Species Goniotarbus tuberculatus (Pocock, 1911)
  • Genus Hadrachne Melander, 1903
    • Species Hadrachne horribilis Melander, 1903
  • Genus Leptotarbus Petrunkevitch, 1945
    • Species Leptotarbus torpedo (Pocock, 1911)
  • Genus Mesotarbus Petrunkevitch, 1949
    • Species Mesotarbus angustus (Pocock, 1911)
    • Species Mesotarbus eggintoni (Pocock, 1911)
    • Species Mesotarbus hindi (Pocock, 1911)
    • Species Mesotarbus intermedius Petrunkevitch, 1949
    • Species Mesotarbus peteri Dunlop & Horrocks, 1997
  • Genus Metatarbus Petrunkevitch, 1913
    • Species Metatarbus triangularus Petrunkevitch, 1913
  • Genus Ootarbus Petrunkevitch, 1945
    • Species Ootarbus pulcherPetrunkevitch, 1945
    • Species Ootarbus ovatusPetrunkevitch, 1945
  • Genus OrthotarbusPetrunkevitch, 1945
    • Species Orthotarbus minutus (Petrunkevitch, 1913)
    • Species Orthotarbus robustus Petrunkevitch, 1945
    • Species Orthotarbus nyranensis Petrunkevitch, 1953
  • Genus Paratarbus Petrunkevitch, 1945
    • Species Paratarbus carbonarius Petrunkevitch, 1945
  • Genus Phalangiotarbus Haase, 1890
    • Species Phalangiotarbus subovalis (Woodward
      Henry Woodward (geologist)
      Henry Bolingbroke Woodward was an English geologist.He became assistant in the geological department of the British Museum in 1858, and in 1880 keeper of that department. He became FRS in 1873, LL.D in 1878, president of the Geological Society of London...
      
      , 1872)
  • Genus Pycnotarbus Darber, 1990
    • Species Pycnotarbus verrucosus Darber, 1990
  • Genus Triangulotarbus Patrick, 1989
    • Species Triangulotarbus terrehautensisPatrick, 1989
• Family Heterotarbidae Petrunkevitch, 1913
  • Genus Heterotarbus Petrunkevitch, 1913
    • Species Heterotarbus ovatus Petrunkevitch, 1913
• Family Opiliotarbidae Petrunkevitch, 1949
  • Genus Opiliotarbus Pocock, 1910
    • Species Opiliotarbus elongatus (Scudder, 1890)
• nomina dubia
• Eotarbus litoralis Kušta, 1888
• Nemastomoides depressus Petrunkevitch, 1913

Further reading

(1997): Phalangiotarbid arachnids from the Coal Measures of Lancashire, UK. Geological Magazine 134: 369-381.