High-level systematics and phylogeny of the extant scorpions (Scorpiones: Orthosterni) Author Soleglad, Michael E. Author Fet, Victor text Euscorpius 2003 2003-12-26 2003 11 1 175 http://dx.doi.org/10.18590/euscorpius.2003.vol2003.iss11.1 journal article 10.18590/euscorpius.2003.vol2003.iss11.1 1536-9307 13237351 86191695-B841-4C9D-BFF2-CBC76D1861BA Family Archaeobuthidae Lourenço, 2001 – Extinct. Type Genus. Archaeobuthus Lourenço, 2001 . – Extinct. Composition. This monotypic family includes a single monotypic genus, Archaeobuthus . Geological occurrence . Lower Cretaceous of Lebanon (amber), ca. 125Ma. Taxonomic history . Lourenço (2001c, 2002b) placed Archaeobuthidae in superfamily Buthoidea . In our opinion, there is no current data which confirms placement of Archaeobuthidae either in Buthoidea , or in parvorder Buthida , as defined here. Diagnosis . See Lourenço (2001c) for details on the diagnosis of this family. Discussion . Archaeobuthus is an important fossil since it is the oldest known orthostern taxon since Carboniferous. Soleglad & Fet (2001) indicated that the reported trichobothrial data places Archaeobuthidae as a sister group to all Recent scorpions. Lourenço (2002b: 38) objected that the observed trichobothrial pattern of Archaeobuthus could be incomplete. However, this pattern was originally reported by Lourenço (2001c: 643) as “neobothriotaxy minorante”, i.e. a completely observed set with some “fundamental trichobothria” missing. This implies that the entire set of trichobothria was visible, as assumed by Soleglad & Fet (2001: 4) . Another fossil genus, Palaeoburmesebuthus , could also belong to this family (see below).