A eurypterid from the lacustrine facies of the Early Devonian Campbellton Formation, New Brunswick, Canada

Abstract

The Early Devonian Campbellton Formation in northern New Brunswick, Canada, yielded its first eurypterid fossils in 1881. Based on recent taxonomic work, all known specimens have been assigned to Pterygotus anglicus, a large pterygotid first described from Scotland. These previously discovered eurypterids are from the western exposure of the Campbellton Formation and are believed to have inhabited a coastal deltaic setting, along with a rich vertebrate assemblage that included cephalaspids, placoderms, acanthodians, and sharks. The single eurypterid abdominal fragment described here as cf. Parahughmilleria was found in beds near the eastern exposure of the formation from a lacustrine facies. These beds are from classic plant-rich localities of the Campbellton Formation and, in addition to plants, have yielded the oldest land-animal assemblage in North America. © Atlantic Geology 2012.