Bunaia


Bunaia is a genus of synziphosurine, a paraphyletic group of fossil chelicerate arthropods. Bunaia was tentatively placed as part of the clade Planaterga, however a 2024 study found it to be within Offacolidae instead. The genus contains at least one species: Bunaia woodwardi from the Silurian period in Svalbard, Norway and the Bertie Group of Ontario

Description

Initially, the species was known only from poorly preserved specimens composed of semicircular carapace, fragments of opisthosoma and disarticulated telson. The aforementioned 2024 study described additional specimens, which revealed "a pair of elongated chelicerae in the prosoma, followed posteriorly by five pairs of biramous appendages, a first pre-abdomen somite bearing a pair of paddle-like uniramous appendages and a ventral pretelsonic process."

Taxonomy

The placement of "Bunaia" heintzi within this genus has been questioned.