Possible estimate of litter size in palaeoburmesebuthid scorpions from Early Cretaceous Burmite (Chelicerata: Scorpiones)
Abstract
In previous studies concerning litter size in extant buthoid species of scorpions it was suggested that a number of factors could directly be associated with litter size variation. Litter size should be directly proportional to the size of adult females but inversely proportional to the size of the embryos and pro-juveniles. The large body size of pro-juveniles at birth should be directly associated with a more complete embryonic development, leading to post-embryonic developments including smaller numbers of instars but with higher values for the morphometric growths. For fossil scorpions and in particular those from Early Cretaceous nothing could be presumed until now. An original observation of pro-juvenile aggregation for Betaburmesebuthus suggests that for micro-buthoid fossil scorpions litter size was extremely reduced but composed of large embryos and pro-juveniles.
