Three morphological characters of eurypterids (Arthropoda, Chelicerata) have been suggested as potentially affecting the ease with which this group experienced ecdysis and, therefore, the likelihood of mortality during moulting: (1) the presence or absence of appendages bearing numerous or long spines; (2) the width of the swimming appendage; and (3) the type of prosoma ventral plate. If ecological processes have evolutionary consequences, the proposed relationship between eurypterid morphology and differential success during ecdysis might be reflected in differential longevity of species with these different morphologies. This hypothesis can be tested using stratigraphical duration data (longevity) of eurypterid species. Results are suggestive but not conclusive: species of the streamlined, non-spinose stylonurid body type, presumed to facilitate ecdysis, have the longest average duration, species of the spinose megalograptid type are the shortest persisting. Members of these two morphotypes also differ in other ecological characters such as environment and feeding habit, which may also contribute to differences in species longevity. More fine-grained, species-level stratigraphical, morphological and palaeoecological data are needed to test the proposed relationships between eurypterid morphology, ecdysial habit and species duration; this initial contribution provides a rationale for future investigation.

中文翻译：

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Eurypterid 形态及其对蜕皮和进化寿命的影响

已经提出了 eurypterids (Arthropoda, Chelicerata) 的三个形态特征可能会影响该群体经历蜕皮的难易程度，从而影响换羽期间死亡的可能性：（1）是否存在带有大量或长刺的附属物；(2)游泳附肢的宽度；(3)前体腹板类型。如果生态过程具有进化后果，那么在蜕皮过程中，斑翅目形态与不同成功率之间的拟议关系可能反映在具有这些不同形态的物种的不同寿命上。可以使用广翅目物种的地层持续时间数据（寿命）来检验这一假设。结果是暗示性的，但不是决定性的：流线型、非棘刺形体型的物种，假定有利于蜕皮，具有最长的平均持续时间，棘巨蜥类型的物种持续时间最短。这两种形态类型的成员在环境和摄食习惯等其他生态特征上也存在差异，这也可能导致物种寿命的差异。需要更细粒度的、物种水平的地层、形态学和古生态学数据来检验拟定的广翅目形态、蜕皮习性和物种持续时间之间的关系；这一初步贡献为未来的调查提供了依据。这也可能导致物种寿命的差异。需要更细粒度的、物种水平的地层、形态学和古生态学数据来检验拟定的广翅目形态、蜕皮习性和物种持续时间之间的关系；这一初步贡献为未来的调查提供了依据。这也可能导致物种寿命的差异。需要更细粒度的、物种水平的地层、形态学和古生态学数据来检验拟定的广翅目形态、蜕皮习性和物种持续时间之间的关系；这一初步贡献为未来的调查提供了依据。