División de Aracnología, Museo Argentino de Ciencias Naturales "Bernardino Rivadavia"-CONICET, Av. Ángel Gallardo 470, C1405DJR Buenos Aires, Argentina..
Zootaxa. 2021 Jan 21;4915(2):zootaxa.4915.2.10. doi: 10.11646/zootaxa.4915.2.10.
Harvestmen (Arachnida: Opiliones) were among the earliest terrestrial arthropods but their unmineralized exoskeletons are scarce and often fragmentary as fossils (Palencia et al. 2019). Consequently, the discovery and interpretations of fossil harvestmen from the early Palaeozoic can have disproportionate effects on the understanding of evolution in Opiliones. Recently, Devonopilio hutchinsoni Tihelka, Tian Cai, 2020, was described as a new fossil harvestman from the well-known Rhynie chert deposits of Scotland, an important source of information on freshwater and terrestrial ecosystems of the early Devonian (Tihelka et al. 2020). This species would be one of the earliest records of harvestmen. The description was based on a single slide showing fragments of arthropod cuticle, which Tihelka et al. interpreted as a harvestmen penis and unspecified associated body parts. As specialists on harvestman morphology and systematics, we were intrigued by these conclusions. However, based on the material presented by Tihelka et al. we find no compelling evidence supporting the proposal that the specimen is a harvestman.
harvestmen（蛛形纲：长脚蛛目）是最早的陆生节肢动物之一，但它们未矿化的外骨骼在化石中很少见且往往是碎片（Palencia 等人，2019）。因此，古生代早期化石 harvestmen 的发现和解释对长脚蛛目进化的理解有不成比例的影响。最近，Devonopilio hutchinsoni Tihelka、Tian Cai，2020 被描述为一种来自苏格兰著名 Rhynie 硅化木矿床的新化石 harvestmen，这是了解早泥盆世淡水和陆地生态系统的重要信息来源（Tihelka 等人，2020）。这个物种是 harvestmen 的最早记录之一。描述是基于一张显示节肢动物外骨骼碎片的幻灯片，Tihelka 等人将其解释为 harvestmen 的阴茎和未指定的相关身体部位。作为 harvestmen 形态和系统发育的专家，我们对这些结论很感兴趣。然而，根据 Tihelka 等人提供的材料，我们没有发现令人信服的证据支持该标本是 harvestmen 的提议。
