2018 in arthropod paleontology
{{Short description|none}}
{{Year nav topic20|2018|arthropod paleontology|paleontology|science|reptile paleontology|paleobotany|paleoentomology |paleomalacology |archosaur paleontology |mammal paleontology |paleoichthyology}}
{{Portal|Paleontology|History of science}}
This list of fossil arthropods described in 2018 is a list of new taxa of trilobites, fossil insects, crustaceans, arachnids, and other fossil arthropods of every kind that were described during the year 2018, as well as other significant discoveries, and events related to arthropod paleontology that are scheduled to occur in the year 2018.
General research
- A study on extant arthropods (mainly insects and spiders) living around the resinous tree Hymenaea verrucosa in the lowland coastal forest of Madagascar and trapped by the resin produced by this tree species, and on their implications for inferring whether amber records the true past biodiversity of the entire forest, is published by Solórzano Kraemer et al. (2018).{{cite journal |first1=Mónica M. |last1=Solórzano Kraemer |first2=Xavier |last2=Delclòs |first3=Matthew E. |last3=Clapham |first4=Antonio |last4=Arillo |first5=David |last5=Peris |first6=Peter |last6=Jäger |first7=Frauke |last7=Stebner |first8=Enrique |last8=Peñalver |year=2018 |title=Arthropods in modern resins reveal if amber accurately recorded forest arthropod communities |journal=Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America |volume=115 |issue=26 |pages=6739–6744 |doi=10.1073/pnas.1802138115 |pmid=29735653 |pmc=6042089 |bibcode=2018PNAS..115.6739S |doi-access=free }}
- A study on the early evolution of stem and crown-arthropods as indicated by Ediacaran and Cambrian body and trace fossils is published by Daley et al. (2018).{{Cite journal |first1=Allison C. |last1=Daley |first2=Jonathan B. |last2=Antcliffe |first3=Harriet B. |last3=Drage |first4=Stephen |last4=Pates |year=2018 |title=Early fossil record of Euarthropoda and the Cambrian Explosion |journal=Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America |volume=115 |issue=21 |pages=5323–5331 |doi=10.1073/pnas.1719962115 |pmid=29784780 |pmc=6003487 |bibcode=2018PNAS..115.5323D |doi-access=free }}
- A study on the evolution of ecdysozoan vision, focusing on the evolution of arthropod multi-opsin vision, as indicated by molecular data and data from fossil record, is published by Fleming et al. (2018).{{cite journal |first1=James F. |last1=Fleming |first2=Reinhardt Møbjerg |last2=Kristensen |first3=Martin Vinther |last3=Sørensen |first4=Tae-Yoon S. |last4=Park |first5=Kazuharu |last5=Arakawa |first6=Mark |last6=Blaxter |first7=Lorena |last7=Rebecchi |first8=Roberto |last8=Guidetti |first9=Tom A. |last9=Williams |first10=Nicholas W. |last10=Roberts |first11=Jakob |last11=Vinther |first12=Davide |last12=Pisani |display-authors=6 |year=2018 |title=Molecular palaeontology illuminates the evolution of ecdysozoan vision |journal=Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences |volume=285 |issue=1892 |pages=20182180 |doi=10.1098/rspb.2018.2180 |pmid=30518575 |pmc=6283943 }}
- Grimaldi et al. (2018) report biological inclusions (fungi, plants, arachnids and insects) in amber from the Paleogene Chickaloon Formation of Alaska, representing the northernmost deposit of fossiliferous amber from the Cenozoic.{{cite journal |first1=David A. |last1=Grimaldi |first2=David |last2=Sunderlin |first3=Georgene A. |last3=Aaroe |first4=Michelle R. |last4=Dempsky |first5=Nancy E. |last5=Parker |first6=George Q. |last6=Tillery |first7=Jaclyn G. |last7=White |first8=Phillip |last8=Barden |first9=Paul C. |last9=Nascimbene |first10=Christopher J. |last10=Williams |year=2018 |title=Biological inclusions in amber from the Paleogene Chickaloon Formation of Alaska |journal=American Museum Novitates |issue=3908 |pages=1–37 |doi=10.1206/3908.1 |hdl=2246/6909 |s2cid=91866682 |url=https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/item/262845 }}
- A mantis lacewing larva found in association with two spiders, attached to one of the anterior walking legs of one of the spiders, is described from the Cretaceous amber from Myanmar by Haug, Müller & Haug (2018), who interpret this finding as evidence of palaeo-parasitism.{{cite journal |first1=Joachim T. |last1=Haug |first2=Patrick |last2=Müller |first3=Carolin |last3=Haug |year=2018 |title=The ride of the parasite: a 100-million-year old mantis lacewing larva captured while mounting its spider host |journal=Zoological Letters |volume=4 |pages=Article 31 |doi=10.1186/s40851-018-0116-9 |pmid=30607257 |pmc=6303971 |doi-access=free }}
Arachnids
=Research=
- Review of arachnids known from the Bitterfeld amber (Germany) and a study on their implications for inferring the age of this deposit is published by Dunlop et al. (2018).{{cite journal |first1=Jason A. |last1=Dunlop |first2=Ulrich |last2=Kotthoff |first3=Jörg U. |last3=Hammel |first4=Jennifer |last4=Ahrens |first5=Danilo |last5=Harms |year=2018 |title=Arachnids in Bitterfeld amber: A unique fauna of fossils from the heart of Europe or simply old friends? |journal=Evolutionary Systematics |volume=2 |pages=31–44 |doi=10.3897/evolsyst.2.22581 |doi-access=free }}
- The first fossil representative of the parasitic mite family Pterygosomatidae, assigned to the genus Pimeliaphilus and similar in morphology to the extant species parasitic on cockroaches, is described from the Cretaceous (Albian) Archingeay amber (France) by Sidorchuk & Khaustov (2018).{{cite journal |first1=Ekaterina A. |last1=Sidorchuk |first2=Alexander A. |last2=Khaustov |year=2018 |title=A parasite without host: The first fossil pterygosomatid mite (Acari: Prostigmata: Pterygosomatidae) from French Lower Cretaceous amber |journal=Cretaceous Research |volume=91 |pages=131–139 |doi=10.1016/j.cretres.2018.05.012 |bibcode=2018CrRes..91..131S |s2cid=134079013 }}
- Fossil mite "Sejus" bdelloides, originally interpret as a member of Mesostigmata, is reinterpreted as a member of Prostigmata referrable to the group Anystina by Dunlop, Walter & Kontschán (2018).{{cite journal |first1=Jason A. |last1=Dunlop |first2=David E. |last2=Walter |first3=Jenő |last3=Kontschán |year=2018 |title=A putative fossil sejid mite (Parasitiformes: Mesostigmata) in Baltic amber re-identified as an anystine (Acariformes: Prostigmata) |journal=Acarologia |volume=58 |issue=3 |pages=665–672 |doi=10.24349/acarologia/20184263 |s2cid=51943889 }}
- A study on the body size of fossil mites is published by Sidorchuk (2018).{{cite journal |first=Ekaterina A. |last=Sidorchuk |year=2018 |title=Mites as fossils: forever small? |journal=International Journal of Acarology |volume=44 |issue=8 |pages=349–359 |doi=10.1080/01647954.2018.1497085 |bibcode=2018IJAca..44..349S |s2cid=92357151 }}
- A hard tick wrapped in spider silk is described from the Cretaceous Myanmar amber by Dunlop et al. (2018).{{cite journal |first1=Jason A. |last1=Dunlop |first2=Paul A. |last2=Selden |first3=Timo |last3=Pfeffer |first4=Lidia |last4=Chitimia-Dobler |year=2018 |title=A Burmese amber tick wrapped in spider silk |journal=Cretaceous Research |volume=90 |pages=136–141 |doi=10.1016/j.cretres.2018.04.013 |bibcode=2018CrRes..90..136D |s2cid=117906514 }}
- A male specimen of a tick belonging to the genus Ornithodoros and the subgenus (Alectorobius) is described from the Dominican amber by Estrada-Peña & de la Fuente (2018),{{cite journal |first1=Agustín |last1=Estrada-Peña |first2=José |last2=de la Fuente |year=2018 |title=The fossil record and the origin of ticks revisited |journal=Experimental and Applied Acarology |volume=75 |issue=2 |pages=255–261 |doi=10.1007/s10493-018-0261-z |pmid=29721759 |s2cid=19200746 }} who also provide illustrated interpretations intended to support the validity of the identity of the fossils reported by de la Fuente (2003).{{cite journal |first=José |last=de la Fuente |year=2003 |title=The fossil record and the origin of ticks (Acari: Parasitiformes: Ixodida) |journal=Experimental and Applied Acarology |volume=29 |issue=3–4 |pages=331–344 |doi=10.1023/A:1025824702816 |pmid=14635818 |s2cid=11271627 }}
- A pseudoscorpion attached to barbules of a contour feather, possibly documenting a phoretic association between pseudoscorpions and Mesozoic birds, is described from the Cretaceous amber from Myanmar by Xing, McKellar & Gao (2018).{{cite journal |first1=Lida |last1=Xing |first2=Ryan C. |last2=McKellar |first3=Zhizhong |last3=Gao |year=2018 |title=Cretaceous hitchhikers: A possible phoretic association between a pseudoscorpion and bird in Burmese amber |journal=Acta Geologica Sinica (English Edition) |volume=92 |issue=6 |pages=2434–2435 |doi=10.1111/1755-6724.13739 |bibcode=2018AcGlS..92.2434X |s2cid=219884097 |url=http://www.geojournals.cn/dzxben/ch/reader/view_abstract.aspx?file_no=2018endzxb06038&flag=1 }}
- A study on the phylogenetic history of spiders, based on molecular data and re-examination of the global fossil record, as well as on the ancestral predatory strategies among different groups of spiders and some of the possible drivers of spider diversification during the Early Cretaceous greenhouse, is published by Shao & Li (2018).{{cite journal |first1=Lili |last1=Shao |first2=Shuqiang |last2=Li |year=2018 |title=Early Cretaceous greenhouse pumped higher taxa diversification in spiders |journal=Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution |volume=127 |pages=146–155 |doi=10.1016/j.ympev.2018.05.026 |url=https://www.researchgate.net/publication/325354005 |pmid=29803949 |bibcode=2018MolPE.127..146S |s2cid=44120477 }}
- A study on the burrows produced by wolf spiders belonging to the genus Pavocosa, aiming to identify ichnological signatures which may facilitate identification of wolf spider burrows in the fossil record, is published by Mendoza Belmontes, Melchor & Piacentini (2018).{{cite journal |first1=Fatima Mendoza |last1=Belmontes |first2=Ricardo N. |last2=Melchor |first3=Luis N. |last3=Piacentini |year=2018 |title=Wolf spider burrows from a modern saline sandflat in central Argentina: morphology, taphonomy and clues for recognition of fossil examples |journal=PeerJ |volume=6 |pages=e5054 |doi=10.7717/peerj.5054 |pmid=29967732 |pmc=6027663 |doi-access=free }}
- Fossil crevice weaver Misionella didicostae from Dominican amber is transferred to the genus Antilloides by Magalhaes (2018).{{cite journal |first=Ivan L.F. |last=Magalhaes |year=2018 |title=A new, relictual Antilloides from Mexican caves: first mainland record of the genus and revised placement of the fossil Misionella didicostae (Araneae: Filistatidae) |journal=Journal of Arachnology |volume=46 |issue=2 |pages=240–248 |doi=10.1636/JoA-S-17-037.1 |hdl=11336/58835 |s2cid=92098016 }}
- Evidence of a fossilized cobweb, and a possible case of predation of a theridiid spider on a dolichopodid fly, are reported from the Mexican amber by García-Villafuerte (2018).{{cite journal |first=Miguel Ángel |last=García-Villafuerte |year=2018 |title=Un posible caso de depredación preservado en ámbar de Chiapas, México: una araña (Araneae, Theridiidae) y su presa, una mosca (Diptera, Dolichopodidae) |journal=Revista Ibérica de Aracnología |volume=33 |pages=55–62 |url=https://www.researchgate.net/publication/330076019 }}
=New taxa=
Crustaceans
=Research=
- Redescription of the Ordovician malacostracan Wuningia multisegmenlata is published by Lin (2018).{{Cite journal |author=Tian-rui Lin |year=2018 |title=Restudy of Early Ordovician Wuningia multisegmenlata Lin, 1990 from Wuning, northwestern Jiangxi |journal=Acta Palaeontologica Sinica |volume=57 |issue=3 |pages=329–332 |url=http://eng.oversea.cnki.net/kcms/detail/detail.aspx?dbCode=cjfd&QueryID=21&CurRec=7&filename=GSWX201803007&dbname=CJFDTEMP |access-date=2018-11-11 |archive-date=2018-11-11 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181111173910/http://eng.oversea.cnki.net/kcms/detail/detail.aspx?dbCode=cjfd&QueryID=21&CurRec=7&filename=GSWX201803007&dbname=CJFDTEMP |url-status=dead }}
- A member of the erymid genus Enoploclytia is described from the Oxfordian deposits of Cricquebœuf (Normandy, France) by Devillez, Charbonnier & Pezy (2018), representing the first Jurassic occurrence of the genus reported so far.{{cite journal |author1=Julien Devillez |author2=Sylvain Charbonnier |author3=Jean-Philippe Pezy |year=2018 |title=First Jurassic {{sic|nolink=y|explained=occurrence|occur|ence}} of Enoploclytia M'Coy, 1849 (Crustacea: Decapoda: Erymidae) |journal=Annales de Paléontologie |volume=104 |issue=2 |pages=143–148 |doi=10.1016/j.annpal.2018.01.003 |url=https://hal.sorbonne-universite.fr/hal-01730602/file/First%20Jurassic%20occurence%20of%20Enoploclytia%20M%E2%80%99Coy%2C%201849%20%28Crustacea%20Decapoda%20Erymidae%29.pdf }}
- Redescription of Palaeopalaemon newberryi and a study on the phylogenetic relationships and life habits of this species is published by Jones et al. (2018).{{cite journal |author1=Wade T. Jones |author2=Rodney M. Feldmann |author3=Joseph T. Hannibal |author4=Carrie E. Schweitzer |author5=Marcus C. Garland |author6=Evin P. Maguire |author7=Jessica N. Tashman |year=2018 |title=Morphology and paleoecology of the oldest lobster-like decapod, Palaeopalaemon newberryi Whitfield, 1880 (Decapoda: Malacostraca) |journal=Journal of Crustacean Biology |volume=38 |issue=3 |pages=302–314 |doi=10.1093/jcbiol/ruy022 |doi-access=free }}
- Description of the morphology of Tetrachela raiblana and a study on its implication for understanding of the homologies of carapace grooves between polychelidans and other decapods is published by Audo, Hyžný & Charbonnier (2018).{{Cite journal |author1=Denis Audo |author2=Matúš Hyžný |author3=Sylvain Charbonnier |year=2018 |title=The early polychelidan lobster Tetrachela raiblana and its impact on the homology of carapace grooves in decapod crustaceans |journal=Contributions to Zoology |volume=87 |issue=1 |pages=41–57 |doi=10.1163/18759866-08701004 |doi-access=free }}
- A large-sized (12.9 mm maximum length) right valve of a marine ostracod is described from the Cretaceous amber from Myanmar by Xing et al. (2018).{{cite journal |author1=Lida Xing |author2=Benjamin Sames |author3=Ryan C. McKellar |author4=Dangpeng Xi |author5=Ming Bai |author6=Xiaoqiao Wan |year=2018 |title=A gigantic marine ostracod (Crustacea: Myodocopa) trapped in mid-Cretaceous Burmese amber |journal=Scientific Reports |volume=8 |issue=1 |pages=Article number 1365 |doi=10.1038/s41598-018-19877-y |pmid=29358761 |pmc=5778021 |bibcode=2018NatSR...8.1365X }}
- A study evaluating how sexual selection related to species extinction in fossil cytheroid ostracods is published by Fernandes Martins et al. (2018), who report that species with more pronounced sexual dimorphism had higher estimated extinction rates.{{cite journal |author1=Maria João Fernandes Martins |author2=T. Markham Puckett |author3=Rowan Lockwood |author4=John P. Swaddle |author5=Gene Hunt |year=2018 |title=High male sexual investment as a driver of extinction in fossil ostracods |journal=Nature |volume=556 |issue=7701 |pages=366–369 |doi=10.1038/s41586-018-0020-7 |pmid=29643505 |bibcode=2018Natur.556..366M |s2cid=4925632 |url=https://aquila.usm.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=17927&context=fac_pubs }}
- An ostracod fauna including four species belonging to the suborder Darwinulocopina is described from the Lower Jurassic (Hettangian) Whitmore Point Member of the Moenave Formation (Arizona and Utah, United States) by Antonietto et al. (2018), potentially representing the last episode of darwinulocopine dominance in nonmarine environments before the Late Jurassic diversification of the cypridocopine and cytherocopine modern ostracods.{{cite journal |author1=Lucas S. Antonietto |author2=Lisa E. Park Boush|author3-link=Celina A. Suarez |author3=Celina A. Suarez |author4=Andrew R.C. Milner |author5=James I. Kirkland |year=2018 |title=The 'Last Hurrah of the Reigning Darwinulocopines'? Ostracoda (Arthropoda, Crustacea) from the Lower Jurassic Moenave Formation, Arizona and Utah, USA |journal=Journal of Paleontology |volume=92 |issue=4 |pages=648–660 |doi=10.1017/jpa.2017.150 |bibcode=2018JPal...92..648A |s2cid=135364031 |doi-access=free }}
- Oxygen-isotope analysis of a whale barnacle specimen collected from early Pleistocene deposits of Apulia (Italy) is published by Collareta et al. (2018), who interpret their findings as indicating that the barnacle lived on a cetacean that seasonally migrated towards high-latitude areas outside the Mediterranean.{{Cite journal|author1=Alberto Collareta |author2=Eleonora Regattieri |author3=Giovanni Zanchetta |author4=Olivier Lambert |author5=Rita Catanzariti |author6=Mark Bosselaers |author7=Pablo Covelo |author8=Angelo Varola |author9=Giovanni Bianucci |year=2018 |title=New insights on ancient cetacean movement patterns from oxygenisotope analyses of a Mediterranean Pleistocene whale barnacle |journal=Neues Jahrbuch für Geologie und Paläontologie - Abhandlungen |volume=288 |issue=2 |pages=143–159 |doi=10.1127/njgpa/2018/0729 }}
=New taxa=
==Malacostracans==
==Ostracods==
==Other crustaceans==
Insects
{{main|2018 in insect paleontology}}
Trilobites
=Research=
- Frontal auxiliary impressions (muscle scars on the glabella) are described in Mesolenellus hyperboreus from Cambrian Stage 4 strata of North Greenland by Lerosey-Aubril & Peel (2018), providing new information on the evolution of a pouch-like digestive organ with powerful extrinsic muscles (i.e. a crop) in trilobites.{{Cite journal|author1=Rudy Lerosey-Aubril |author2=John S. Peel |year=2018 |title=Gut evolution in early Cambrian trilobites and the origin of predation on infaunal macroinvertebrates: evidence from muscle scars in Mesolenellus |journal=Palaeontology |volume=61 |issue=5 |pages=747–760 |doi=10.1111/pala.12365 |bibcode=2018Palgy..61..747L |s2cid=134357475 }}
- A study on complete moulted exoskeletons of Estaingia bilobata and Redlichia takooensis from the Cambrian Emu Bay Shale (Australia), and their implications for inferring the course of moulting in trilobites, is published by Drage et al. (2018).{{Cite journal|author1=Harriet B. Drage |author2=James D. Holmes |author3=Diego C. García-Bellido |author4=Allison C. Daley |year=2018 |title=An exceptional record of Cambrian trilobite moulting behaviour preserved in the Emu Bay Shale, South Australia |journal=Lethaia |volume=51 |issue=4 |pages=473–492 |doi=10.1111/let.12266 |doi-access=free |bibcode=2018Letha..51..473D }}
- A study assessing the morphological differences within and among three populations of Oryctocephalus indicus from the United States, Siberia and China, using a new method of analysing small morphological features, is published by Esteve et al. (2018).{{Cite journal|author1=Jorge Esteve |author2=Yuan-Long Zhao |author3=Miguel Ángel Maté-González |author4=Miguel Gómez-Heras |author5=Jin Peng |year=2018 |title=A new high-resolution 3-D quantitative method for analysing small morphological features: an example using a Cambrian trilobite |journal=Scientific Reports |volume=8 |issue=1 |pages=Article number 2868 |doi=10.1038/s41598-018-21088-4 |pmid=29434204 |pmc=5809599 |bibcode=2018NatSR...8.2868E }}
- A study on early post-embryonic developmental stages of the Cambrian trilobite Ellipsostrenua granulosa is published by Laibl, Cederström & Ahlberg (2018).{{Cite journal|author1=Lukáš Laibl |author2=Peter Cederström |author3=Per Ahlberg |year=2018 |title=Early post-embryonic development in Ellipsostrenua (Trilobita, Cambrian, Sweden) and the developmental patterns in Ellipsocephaloidea |journal=Journal of Paleontology |volume=92 |issue=6 |pages=1018–1027 |doi=10.1017/jpa.2018.25 |bibcode=2018JPal...92.1018L |s2cid=134901978 }}
- A study on the ontogeny of the co-occurring shumardiid trilobites Akoldinioidia latus and Koldinioidia choii from the middle Furongian Hwajeol Formation (South Korea) is published by Park (2018).{{Cite journal|author=Tae-Yoon S. Park |year=2018 |title=Ontogeny of the two co-occurring middle Furongian (late Cambrian) shumardiid trilobites and the protaspid morphology of shumardiids |journal=Geological Magazine |volume=155 |issue=6 |pages=1247–1262 |doi=10.1017/S0016756817000012 |bibcode=2018GeoM..155.1247P |s2cid=132574865 }}
- Remains of the digestive system of a specimen of the bathycheilid species Prionocheilus vokovicensis from the Ordovician Šárka Formation (Czech Republic) are described by Fatka & Budil (2018).{{Cite journal|author1=O. Fatka |author2=P. Budil |year=2018 |title=Digestive structures in Middle Ordovician trilobite Prionocheilus Rouault, 1847 from the Barrandian area of Czech Republic |journal=Geologica Acta |volume=16 |issue=1 |pages=65–73 |doi=10.1344/GeologicaActa2018.16.1.4 |url=http://revistes.ub.edu/index.php/GEOACTA/article/view/GeologicaActa2018.16.1.4 }}
- A study on the postembryonic development of Dalmanitina, based on a large sample of specimens from the Upper Ordovician Prague Basin, is published by Drage, Laibl & Budil (2018).{{Cite journal|author1=Harriet B. Drage |author2=Lukáš Laibl |author3=Petr Budil |year=2018 |title=Postembryonic development of Dalmanitina, and the evolution of facial suture fusion in Phacopina |journal=Paleobiology |volume=44 |issue=4 |pages=638–659 |doi=10.1017/pab.2018.31 |bibcode=2018Pbio...44..638D |s2cid=91772675 }}
- A large and almost complete dorsal exoskeleton of a trilobite referred to the species Dipleura dekayi is described from the Devonian Floresta Formation (Colombia) by Carvalho (2018).{{Cite journal|author=Maria Da Gloria Pires De Carvalho |year=2018 |title=Occurrence of Dipleura dekayi Green, 1832 (Trilobita; Homalonotidae) in the Devonian of Colombia |journal=American Museum Novitates |issue=3902 |pages=1–8 |doi=10.1206/3902.1 |hdl=2246/6899 |s2cid=198160146 |url=https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/item/262860 }}
- A study on the phylogenetic relationships of species belonging to the genus Metacryphaeus is published by Carbonaro et al. (2018), who also perform a palaeobiogeographic analysis for the distribution of the genus.{{Cite journal|author1=Fábio Augusto Carbonaro |author2=Max Cardoso Langer |author3=Silvio Shigueo Nihei |author4=Gabriel de Souza Ferreira |author5=Renato Pirani Ghilardi |year=2018 |title=Inferring ancestral range reconstruction based on trilobite records: a study-case on Metacryphaeus (Phacopida, Calmoniidae) |journal=Scientific Reports |volume=8 |issue=1 |pages=Article number 15179 |doi=10.1038/s41598-018-33517-5 |pmid=30315223 |pmc=6185901 |bibcode=2018NatSR...815179C }}
=New taxa=
Other arthropods
=Research=
- A study on the external and internal anatomy and possible lifestyle of Waptia fieldensis, based on revision of all available specimens available from the repositories in the National Museum of Natural History and the Royal Ontario Museum, is published by Vannier et al. (2018).{{cite journal |author1=Jean Vannier |author2=Cédric Aria |author3=Rod S. Taylor |author4=Jean-Bernard Caron |year=2018 |title=Waptia fieldensis Walcott, a mandibulate arthropod from the middle Cambrian Burgess Shale |journal=Royal Society Open Science |volume=5 |issue=6 |pages=172206 |doi=10.1098/rsos.172206 |pmid=30110460 |pmc=6030330 |bibcode=2018RSOS....572206V }}
- A study on the lateral tail flexibility in the eurypterid Slimonia acuminata published by Persons & Acorn (2017){{Cite journal|author1=W. Scott Persons IV |author2=John Acorn |year=2017 |title=A Sea Scorpion's Strike: New Evidence of Extreme Lateral Flexibility in the Opisthosoma of Eurypterids |journal=The American Naturalist |volume=190 |issue=1 |pages=152–156 |doi=10.1086/691967 |pmid=28617636 |bibcode=2017ANat..190..152P |s2cid=3891482 }} is criticized by Lamsdell, Marshall & Briggs (2018);{{Cite journal|author1=James C. Lamsdell |author2=David J. Marshall |author3=Derek E. G. Briggs |year=2018 |title=Hit and Miss: (A Comment on Persons and Acorn, "A Sea Scorpion's Strike: New Evidence of Extreme Lateral Flexibility in the Opisthosoma of Eurypterids") |journal=The American Naturalist |volume=191 |issue=3 |pages=352–354 |doi=10.1086/695955 |bibcode=2018ANat..191..352L |s2cid=90575897 }} Persons (2018) defends his original conclusions on the basis of a study of additional eurypterid specimens.{{Cite journal|author=W. Scott Persons IV |year=2018 |title=Additional Specimens and a Critical Consideration of Eurypterid Opisthosoma Flexibility: (A Reply to Lamsdell et al.) |journal=The American Naturalist |volume=191 |issue=3 |pages=355–358 |doi=10.1086/695956 |bibcode=2018ANat..191..355P |s2cid=90023458 }}
- A study on the microstructure of gnathobasic spines on the coxa of extant Atlantic horseshoe crab, Silurian eurypterid Eurypterus tetragonophthalmus and Cambrian artiopodan Sidneyia inexpectans is published by Bicknell et al. (2018).{{cite journal |author1=Russell D.C. Bicknell |author2=John R. Paterson |author3=Jean-Bernard Caron |author4=Christian B. Skovsted |year=2018 |title=The gnathobasic spine microstructure of recent and Silurian chelicerates and the Cambrian artiopodan Sidneyia: Functional and evolutionary implications |journal=Arthropod Structure & Development |volume=47 |issue=1 |pages=12–24 |doi=10.1016/j.asd.2017.12.001 |pmid=29221679 |bibcode=2018ArtSD..47...12B |s2cid=46830374 |url=http://urn.kb.se/resolve?urn=urn:nbn:se:nrm:diva-2864 }}
- A study on the mechanical performance of the feeding appendages of Sidneyia inexpectans, based on comparisons with extant Atlantic horseshoe crab, is published by Bicknell et al. (2018).{{Cite journal|author1=Russell D. C. Bicknell |author2=Justin A. Ledogar |author3=Stephen Wroe |author4=Benjamin C. Gutzler |author5=Winsor H. Watson III |author6=John R. Paterson |year=2018 |title=Computational biomechanical analyses demonstrate similar shell-crushing abilities in modern and ancient arthropods |journal=Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences |volume=285 |issue=1889 |pages=20181935 |doi=10.1098/rspb.2018.1935 |pmid=30355715 |pmc=6234888 }}
- Bicknell, Pates & Botton (2018) report abnormalities in specimens of extant (Limulus polyphemus, Tachypleus tridentatus) and fossil (Euproops danae, Mesolimulus walchi) horseshoe crabs, and compare injuries to horseshoe crab cephalothoraces to those affecting Cambrian trilobites to explore the possible timing of the injuries.{{cite journal |author1=Russell D.C. Bicknell |author2=Stephen Pates |author3=Mark L. Botton |year=2018 |title=Abnormal xiphosurids, with possible application to Cambrian trilobites |journal=Palaeontologia Electronica |volume=21 |issue=2 |pages=Article number 21.2.19A |doi=10.26879/866 |doi-access=free }}
- Sánchez-García et al. (2018) report the presence of probable male clasping organs for courtship and securing the female during copulation in the springtail Pseudosminthurides stoechus and an aggregation of up to 45 specimens of the springtail Proisotoma communis from the Cretaceous amber from Spain.{{cite journal |author1=Alba Sánchez-García |author2=Enrique Peñalver |author3=Xavier Delclòs |author4=Michael S. Engel |year=2018 |title=Mating and aggregative behaviors among basal hexapods in the Early Cretaceous |journal=PLOS ONE |volume=13 |issue=2 |pages=e0191669 |doi=10.1371/journal.pone.0191669 |pmid=29466382 |pmc=5821437 |bibcode=2018PLoSO..1391669S |doi-access=free }}
- Closely associated arthropleurid trackways, interpreted as evidence of arthropleurid mating behaviour, are described from the Lower Carboniferous of Fife (Scotland, United Kingdom) by Whyte (2018).{{cite journal |author=Martin A. Whyte |year=2018 |title=Mating trackways of a fossil giant millipede |journal=Scottish Journal of Geology |volume=54 |issue=1 |pages=63–68 |doi=10.1144/sjg2017-013 |bibcode=2018ScJG...54...63W |s2cid=133846470 }}
- Two immature specimens of polyxenidan millipedes are described from the Eocene Bitterfeld amber (Germany) by Haug et al. (2018).{{cite journal |author1=Joachim T. Haug |author2=Carolin Haug |author3=Christian Neumann |author4=Andy Sombke |author5=Marie K. Hörnig |year=2018 |title=Early post-embryonic polyxenidan millipedes from Saxonian amber (Eocene) |journal=Bulletin of Geosciences |volume=93 |issue=1 |pages=1–11 |doi=10.3140/bull.geosci.1646 |doi-access=free }}
- First known millipede fossil material from Central America (disarticulated trunk segments of members of the genus Nyssodesmus from the late Pleistocene of Costa Rica) is described by Laurito & Valerio (2018).{{cite journal |author1=César A. Laurito |author2=Ana L. Valerio |year=2018 |title=Primer registro fósil de un Myriapoda (Polydesmida) para el Pleistoceno Tardío de la localidad de la Palmera de San Carlos, provincia de Alajuela, Costa Rica |journal=Revista Geológica de América Central |volume=58 |pages=179–187 |doi=10.15517/rgac.v58i0.32848 |doi-access=free }}
- Insect resting traces and arthropod trackways are described from the Eocene Mount Wawel Formation (King George Island, Antarctica) by Uchman, Gaździcki & Błażejowski (2018), who name a new ichnofamily Protichnidae and a new ichnospecies Glaciichnium australis.{{cite journal |author1=Alfred Uchman |author2=Andrzej Gaździcki |author3=Błażej Błażejowski |year=2018 |title=Arthropod trace fossils from Eocene cold climate continental strata of King George Island, West Antarctica |journal=Acta Palaeontologica Polonica |volume=63 |issue=2 |pages=383–396 |doi=10.4202/app.00467.2018 |doi-access=free }}
- Revision of blood-feeding arthropods from the Paleogene Baltic amber is published by Pielowska, Sontag & Szadziewski (2018).{{cite journal |author1=Agata Pielowska |author2=Elżbieta Sontag |author3=Ryszard Szadziewski |year=2018 |title=Haematophagous arthropods in Baltic Amber |journal=Annales Zoologici |volume=68 |issue=2 |pages=237–249 |doi=10.3161/00034541ANZ2018.68.2.003 |s2cid=89844986 }}