# Sculda > Mediated Wiki article. Canonical URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Sculda > Markdown URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Sculda.md > Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sculda > Source revision: 1354690892 > License: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/) {{Short description|Extinct genus of mantis shrimp}} {{Automatic taxobox | fossil_range = {{Fossil range|Tithonian|Cenomanian}} | image = Sculda pennata Solnhofen Titoniano.jpg | image_caption = Fossil of ''S. pennata'' | taxon = Sculda | authority= Münster, 1840 | type_species = {{extinct}}'''''Sculda pennata''''' | type_species_authority = [Münster](/source/Georg_zu_M%C3%BCnster), 1840 | subdivision_ranks = Other species | subdivision = *{{extinct}}'''''S. spinosa'''''
Kunth, 1870 *{{extinct}}'''''S. syriaca'''''
Dames, 1886 | synonyms = *'''''Buria''''' Giebel, 1857 }} '''''Sculda''''' (after [Skuld](/source/Skuld) from [Norse mythology](/source/Norse_mythology)) is an extinct [genus](/source/genus) of [mantis shrimp](/source/mantis_shrimp) known from the [late Jurassic](/source/late_Jurassic) to [late Cretaceous](/source/late_Cretaceous) of [Germany](/source/Germany) and [Lebanon](/source/Lebanon). Although several species have been assigned to it, some are now deemed [dubious](/source/Dubious_name) or moved to different genera. It was a moderate-sized [crustacean](/source/crustacean), measuring no more than {{convert|50|mm|abbr=on|in}} long. ''Sculda'' would have lived in a [marine environment](/source/marine_environment) and been a [predatory](/source/predatory) animal, likely smashing its prey with the widened segment of its [raptorial](/source/raptorial) appendages before cutting it with the sharp appendage tips. The genus was first named in 1840 by [Georg zu Münster](/source/Georg_zu_M%C3%BCnster), based on fossils collected from the [Solnhofen Limestone](/source/Solnhofen_Limestone) of [Bavaria](/source/Bavaria), Germany. It was the first [Mesozoic](/source/Mesozoic) mantis shrimp to be discovered and named, though it was initially misidentified as an [isopod](/source/isopod). ''Sculda'' is generally placed in the family [Sculdidae](/source/Sculdidae), though this family has been proposed to be [polyphyletic](/source/polyphyletic). ==Taxonomic history== ===Early history=== thumb|left|upright|The original ''S. pennata'' fossils as illustrated in Münster's 1840 paper ''Sculda'' was the first [Mesozoic](/source/Mesozoic) [mantis shrimp](/source/mantis_shrimp) to be discovered and named, being initially described by [Georg zu Münster](/source/Georg_zu_M%C3%BCnster) in 1840 to contain the [type species](/source/type_species) ''S. pennata''. The type series was made up of four fossil specimens collected from the [Solnhofen Limestone](/source/Solnhofen_Limestone) shales in [Bavaria](/source/Bavaria), Germany. The generic name references [Skuld](/source/Skuld), a [Norn](/source/Norns) from [Norse mythology](/source/Norse_mythology). Münster did not recognize ''Sculda'' to be a mantis shrimp but instead considered it to be an [isopod](/source/isopod), partly because the characteristic [raptorial](/source/raptorial) appendages of mantis shrimps were not preserved in these specimens.{{Cite journal |last=Münster |first=G |date=1840 |title=Ueber einige Isopoden in den Kalkschiefern von Bayern. |url=https://www.marinespecies.org/traits./aphia.php?p=sourceget&id=353551 |format=PDF |journal=Beiträge zur Petrefactenkunde |language=de |volume=3 |pages=19–23}} ''Buria rugosa'' was described by [C. G. Giebel](/source/C._G._Giebel) in 1857 as a new genus and species of isopod, believing it to be distinct from ''Sculda pennata'' based on number of segments and head shape. He found that ''Buria'' was both similar to and different from several extant [Atlantic](/source/Atlantic) isopods in a variety of ways.{{Cite journal |last=Giebel |first=C |date=1857 |title=Zur Fauna des lithographischen Schiefers von Solenhofen Z. f. ges |journal=Naturwissenschaften |volume=9 |pages=373–388}} ===Later revisions=== Thirty years after the genus is first named, Kunth (1870) publishes a study redescribing ''Sculda pennata'', as well as naming two additional species referred to the genus, ''S. spinosa'' and ''S. pusilla''. The studied material was loaned from the Berlin University collection and München paleontological collection, including 24 specimens of ''S. pennata'', 3 specimens of ''S. spinosa'' and a single specimen of ''S. pusilla'', all of which originate from the [Solnhofen Limestone](/source/Solnhofen_Limestone). In addition, Kunth finds that the material named as ''Buria rugosa'' is identical to that of ''Sculda pennata'', thus the former name was discarded and declared as a [junior synonym](/source/junior_synonym) of the latter.{{Cite journal |last=Kunth |first=A. |date=1870 |title=Ueber wenig bekannte Crustaceen von Solenhofen |url=https://www.schweizerbart.de/papers/zdgg/detail/22/73971 |journal=Zeitschrift der Deutschen Geologischen Gesellschaft |language=de |volume=22 |issue=4 |pages=771–802}} In 1872, Schlüter records the discovery of a new fossil mantis shrimp from [Lebanon](/source/Lebanon) which he names ''Sculda laevis'', but does not illustrate or describe the fossil until 1874.{{Cite journal |last=Schlüter |first=C.L. |date=1872 |title=Ueber einen fossilen Stomatopoden von Libanon |journal=Sitzung-berichte, Verhandlungen des Naturhistori-schen Vereines der Preussischen Rheinlande und Westfalens |language=de |volume=29 |pages=194–195}}{{Cite journal |last=Schlüter |first=C.L. |date=1874 |title=Über einige jurassische Crustaceen-Typen in der oberen Kreide. 1. Fossile Krebse des Libanon |journal=Sitzung-berichte, Verhandlungen des Naturhistori-schen Vereines der Preussischen Rheinlande und Westfalens |volume=31 |pages=41–45}} Over a decade later, Dames (1886) would publish a review on the previous work on fossil mantis shrimps in which he erects a new genus, ''[Pseudosculda](/source/Pseudosculda)'', and moves ''S. laevis'' into it as the type species, renaming it ''Pseudosculda laevis''. In addition, Dames also assigns a new species, ''Sculda syriaca'', to the genus ''Sculda'' based on two specimens found in [Hakel](/source/Hakel), Lebanon. He discusses the characteristics of ''Sculda'' in great detail, comparing its species with one another. However, most of the conclusions were made based on illustrations from older literature, and Dames did not study the actual specimens of ''S. pennata'', ''S. spinosa'' or ''S. pusilla''.{{Cite journal |last=Dames |first=W. |date=1886-01-01 |title=Ueber einige Crustaceen aus den Kreideablagerungen des Libanon. |url=https://www.schweizerbart.de/papers/zdgg/detail/38/62766/Ueber_einige_Crustaceen_aus_den_Kreideablagerungen_des_Libanon |journal=Zeitschrift der Deutschen Geologischen Gesellschaft |language=de |volume=38 |issue=3 |pages=551–576}} Haug ''et al.'' (2010) published on numerous fossils of ''Sculda'' found in the [Solnhofen Limestone](/source/Solnhofen_Limestone). They noted that it was often difficult to distinguish whether a specimen belonged to ''S. pennata'' and ''S. spinosa'' due to incomplete preservation, thus several fossils were referred to ''?Sculda pennata/spinosa'' to keep an open terminology. In addition, two specimens were assigned to ''S. pusilla'', being the first specimens referred to the species since it was named 140 years prior.{{Cite journal |last1=Haug |first1=Joachim T. |last2=Haug |first2=Carolin |last3=Maas |first3=Andreas |last4=Kutschera |first4=Verena |last5=Waloszek |first5=Dieter |date=2010-09-21 |title=Evolution of mantis shrimps (Stomatopoda, Malacostraca) in the light of new Mesozoic fossils |journal=BMC Evolutionary Biology |volume=10 |issue=1 |page=290 |doi=10.1186/1471-2148-10-290 |issn=1471-2148 |pmc=2955030 |pmid=20858249 |doi-access=free |bibcode=2010BMCEE..10..290H }} However, Haug & Haug (2021) found that these two specimens actually represent a new genus they named ''[Tyrannosculda](/source/Tyrannosculda)'', and declared ''S. pusilla'' a ''[nomen dubium](/source/nomen_dubium)''.{{Cite journal |last1=Haug |first1=Carolin |last2=Haug |first2=Joachim T. |date=2021-04-16 |title=A new fossil mantis shrimp and the convergent evolution of a lobster-like morphotype |journal=PeerJ |language=en |volume=9 |article-number=e11124 |doi=10.7717/peerj.11124 |pmid=33959413 |issn=2167-8359 |doi-access=free |pmc=8054755 }} ===Species=== Over the years after the genus was named, several species have been assigned to ''Sculda''. However, some have since been considered to be [dubious](/source/Dubious_name) or reassigned to different genera. * ''Sculda pennata'' is the type species of the genus, described by Münster in 1840, and lived in the [Tithonian](/source/Tithonian) stage of the [Late Jurassic](/source/Late_Jurassic) period in [Bavaria](/source/Bavaria), Germany. * ''Sculda spinosa'' was named by A. Kurth in 1870 and lived during the Tithonian stage of the Late Jurassic period in Bavaria, Germany. It is known to occur alongside ''S. pennata'' in localities such as the [Solnhofen Limestone](/source/Solnhofen_Limestone). ''S. spinosa'' has been stated to differ from ''S. pennata'' in dorsal tooth count on the [tergite](/source/tergite)s, [rostrum](/source/Rostrum_(anatomy)) shape and having a wider body. However these features are often not preserved in specimens or may be results of differing degrees of segment extension, making it commonly difficult to distinguish between the two. It has been proposed that ''S. spinosa'' may be synonymous with ''S. pennata'', though this remains unconfirmed. * ''Sculda syriaca'' was named by W. Dames in 1886 based on specimens from [Cenomanian](/source/Cenomanian)-aged deposits in [Hakel](/source/Hakel), [Lebanon](/source/Lebanon). ===Doubtful species=== thumb|Only known fossil of ''S. pusilla'', currently a ''nomen dubium'' * ''Sculda pusilla'' was named by Kunth in 1870 and based on a single fragmentary specimen. Several additional specimens from the [Solnhofen Limestone](/source/Solnhofen_Limestone) were assigned to this species by Haug ''et al.'' (2010). However, Haug & Haug (2021) found that all referred specimens lack the rows of dorsal spines observed in the ''S. pusilla'' holotype, thus they were moved to a new genus named ''[Tyrannosculda](/source/Tyrannosculda)'', while ''S. pusilla'' was declared as a ''[nomen dubium](/source/nomen_dubium)''. ===Reassigned species=== * ''Sculda laevis'' was the name given by C.L. Schlüter in 1872 to a specimen from Cretaceous deposits in Lebanon. He fully described and illustrated the species two years later in 1874, and expressed doubt towards its classification, noting that the [telson](/source/telson) more closely resembles that of ''Sculda'' but the [cephalothorax](/source/cephalothorax) suggests a relationship with ''[Squilla](/source/Squilla)''. In 1886, W. Dames moved ''S. leavis'' to his newly established genus ''[Pseudosculda](/source/Pseudosculda)'', of which this species became the type species. * ''Sculda sp.'' was the designation tentatively given in 1999 to a single fossil found in the [Turonian](/source/Turonian) [siliceous](/source/siliceous) shales of [Colombia](/source/Colombia), based on the [telson](/source/telson) morphology.{{Cite journal |last1=Feldmann |first1=Rodney M. |last2=Villamil |first2=Tomas |last3=Kauffman |first3=Erle G. |date=1999 |title=Decapod and stomatopod crustaceans from mass morality Lagerstatten: Turonian (Cretaceous) of Colombia |url=https://pubs.geoscienceworld.org/jpaleontol/article/73/1/91/83125/Decapod-and-Stomatopod-crustaceans-from-mass |journal=Journal of Paleontology |volume=73 |issue=1 |pages=91–101|doi=10.1017/S0022336000027578 |bibcode=1999JPal...73...91F |s2cid=130008703 |url-access=subscription }} In 2004 this specimen was reassigned to ''[Pseudosculda](/source/Pseudosculda)'' based on the appearance of the [raptorial](/source/raptorial) appendages.{{Cite book |last1=Schram |first1=Frederick |title=Catalog and bibliography of the Fossil and Recent Stomatopoda |last2=Müller |first2=Hans-Georg |publisher=Backhuys Publishers |year=2004 |isbn=978-90-5782-144-8 |location=Leiden|s2cid=82159003 }} However, Ahyong ''et al.'' (2007) states the Colombian specimen is definitely not ''Pseudosculda'', and perhaps not even a [pseudosculdid](/source/Pseudosculdidae).{{Cite book |last1=Shane T Ahyong |url=http://archive.org/details/biostor-267029 |title=Archaeosculda phoenicia n. gen., n. sp. (Crustacea, Stomatopoda, Pseudosculdidae) from the Upper Cretaceous (Cenomanian) of Lebanon |last2=Alessandro Garassino |last3=Barbara Gironi |date=2007}} ==Description== ''Sculda'' is a small [crustacean](/source/crustacean), not exceeding {{convert|50|mm|abbr=on|in}} in length. The type species, ''S. pennata'', ranges from {{convert|22|-|46|mm|abbr=on|in}} in length. ''S. spinosa'' is smaller, with the three specimens analysed by Kunth (1870) measuring from {{convert|31.3|-|35|mm|abbr=on|in}}. thumb|3D reconstruction of ''Sculda'' as viewed from above The [carapace](/source/carapace) shield of ''Sculda'' is [dorsoventrally](/source/dorsoventrally) flattened, with prominent, almost spine-like grooves and ridges running from the front to the back of the shield. Like other mantis shrimps, this genus has enlarged [raptorial](/source/raptorial) appendages for catching prey, with the frontmost pair being the largest (though the size difference between pairs is less notable than in ''[Tyrannosculda](/source/Tyrannosculda)''). The raptorial appendages of ''Sculda'' have no spines, and the propodus (sub-terminal segment) is extremely widened and enlarged, whereas the [dactylus](/source/dactylus) (terminal segment) is sharp and blade-like. This morphology in the raptorial appendages is not known in modern mantis shrimps. The [tergite](/source/tergite)s of the [pleon](/source/pleon) are ornamented with rows of backward-pointing dorsal teeth. The [telson](/source/telson) is large and wide, with two [uropod](/source/uropod)s on either side. Prominent spines are present on the margins of the uropods, giving them a feather-like appearance. The appendages are short and curved, not visible when the animal is viewed from above. The [pleopod](/source/pleopod)s (swimming appendages) are [biramous](/source/biramous), each branching into an [exopod](/source/exopod) and an [endopod](/source/endopod), both of which have many [seta](/source/seta)e along their edges and are shaped like paddles. ==Classification== When it was first described, ''Sculda'' was believed to be a type of [isopod](/source/isopod), with Münster suggesting it to be a member of the [family](/source/Family_(taxonomy)) [Cymothoidae](/source/Cymothoidae) based on its short, curved legs pressing against its body. As more remains were discovered, it became apparent that ''Sculda'' is actually a [mantis shrimp](/source/mantis_shrimp). Dames (1886) erected the family [Sculdidae](/source/Sculdidae) in which this genus was placed, and to this day this remains the accepted classification. The family belongs in the suborder [Unipeltata](/source/Unipeltata), which contains all extant mantis shrimps as well as some extinct species from the [Mesozoic](/source/Mesozoic) and [Cenozoic](/source/Cenozoic) eras. While Sculdidae was originally a [monotypic](/source/Monotypic_taxon) family, with ''Sculda'' as its type and only genus, two more genera were assigned to it in the 21st century (namely ''[Nodosculda](/source/Nodosculda)'' and ''[Spinosculda](/source/Spinosculda)'').{{Cite journal |last=Franţescu |first=Ovidiu D. |date=2012-07-07 |title=''Nodosculda fisherorum'', new genus and new species of mantis shrimp (Stomatopoda: Sculdidae) from the Cretaceous (Late Albian) of Texas, USA |journal=Journal of Crustacean Biology |volume=32 |issue=5 |pages=774–779 |doi=10.1163/193724012x637221 |s2cid=86727467 |issn=0278-0372|doi-access=free |bibcode=2012JCBio..32..774F }}{{Cite journal |last1=Haug |first1=C. |last2=Haug |first2=J. |last3=Waloszek |first3=D. |date=2009 |title=Morphology and ontogeny of the Upper Jurassic mantis shrimp ''Spinosculda ehrlichi'' n. gen. n. sp. from southern Germany |journal=Palaeodiversity |volume=2 |pages=111–118|s2cid=2601897 }} Smith ''et al.'' (2023) conducted a [phylogenetic analysis](/source/phylogenetic_analysis) to determine the relations between fossil mantis shrimps, which recovered the genus ''Sculda'' to be [monophyletic](/source/monophyletic). However, the family Sculdidae was found to be [polyphyletic](/source/polyphyletic). The results of the analysis are displayed in the [cladogram](/source/cladogram) below:{{Cite journal |last1=Smith |first1=C.P.A. |last2=Aubier |first2=P. |last3=Charbonnier |first3=S. |last4=Laville |first4=T. |last5=Olivier |first5=N. |last6=Escarguel |first6=G. |last7=Jenks |first7=J.F. |last8=Bylund |first8=K.G. |last9=Fara |first9=E. |last10=Brayard |first10=A. |date=2023-03-31 |title=Closing a major gap in mantis shrimp evolution - first fossils of Stomatopoda from the Triassic |url=https://www.researchgate.net/publication/369959650 |journal=Bulletin of Geosciences |language=en |pages=95–110 |doi=10.3140/bull.geosci.1864 |s2cid=258089800 |issn=1802-8225|doi-access=free }} {{Cladogram of fossil mantis shrimp genera}} ==Palaeobiology== thumb|Reconstruction of ''Sculda'' viewed from the side, with the raptorial appendages visible Based on its [raptorial](/source/raptorial) appendages and the [ecology](/source/ecology) of other mantis shrimps, ''Sculda'' would have been a [carnivorous](/source/carnivorous) [marine](/source/Marine_life) animal. The morphology of these appendages in ''Sculda'' is unlike that of any extant mantis shrimp, with a greatly enlarged propodus (sub-terminal segment), but sharp and slender [dactylus](/source/dactylus) (terminal segment). Haug ''et al.'' (2010) proposed that the propodus may have been used to directly strike prey, smashing and bludgeoning it in a manner similar to modern [smasher type](/source/Mantis_shrimp) mantis shrimps, before using the dactylus to cut the prey up. ''Sculda'' would have developed this behaviour separately from modern smasher mantis shrimps, an example of [convergent evolution](/source/convergent_evolution). ==References== {{reflist}} ==External links== {{Wikispecies|Sculda}} {{Commons category|Sculda}} {{Taxonbar|from=Q123485770}} Category:Stomatopoda Category:Cenomanian extinctions Category:Jurassic crustaceans Category:Fossil taxa described in 1840 Category:Jurassic Germany Category:Fossils of Germany Category:Solnhofen fauna Category:Prehistoric mantis shrimps --- Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Sculda](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sculda) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sculda?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.