Acastocephala

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Acastocephala
Temporal range: Silurian
Scientific classification
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Acastocephala

Shergold, 1966
Species
  • A. macrops(Salter, 1864) (type) synonym Phacops downingiae var. β. macrops
  • A. dudleyensisShergold, 1966 [1]

Acastocephala is a genus of trilobite from the middle Silurian, known from the United Kingdom. [2]

Contents

Etymology

The name is derived from the genus Acaste and the Ancient Greek κεφαλή (kephalē) "head", indicating the headshield is similar to Acaste. [1]

Taxonomy

Acastocephala may contain the ancestor of Acastava . [1]

Distribution

Related Research Articles

Wenlock may refer to:

Wenlock Edge Limestone escarpment near Much Wenlock, Shropshire, England

Wenlock Edge is a limestone escarpment near Much Wenlock, Shropshire, England and a site of special scientific interest because of its geology. It is over 19 mi (31 km) long, running southwest to northeast between Craven Arms and Much Wenlock, and is roughly 1,083 feet above sea level. The deciduous woodland which runs along it covers much of the steep slopes of the escarpment and in parts it is very well preserved.

Wrens Nest

The Wren's Nest is a geological Site of Special Scientific Interest in the Dudley Metropolitan Borough, north west of the town centre of Dudley, in the West Midlands of England. It is one of the most important geological locations in Britain. It is also a Local Nature Reserve, a national nature reserve (NNR) and Scheduled Ancient Monument. The site is home to a number of species of birds and locally rare flora, such as Scabiosa columbaria, milkwort and quaking grass. The caverns are also a nationally important hibernation site for seven different species of bat.

<i>Phacops</i> Genus of arthropods (fossil)

Phacops is a genus of trilobites in the order Phacopida, family Phacopidae, that lived in Europe, northwestern Africa, North and South America and China from the Late Ordovician until the very end of the Devonian, with a broader time range described from the Late Ordovician. It was a rounded animal, with a globose head and large eyes, and probably fed on detritus. Phacops is often found rolled up ("volvation"), a biological defense mechanism that is widespread among smaller trilobites but further perfected in this genus.

The Wenlock Group (Wenlockian), in geology, is the middle series of strata in the Silurian of Great Britain. This group in the typical area in the Welsh border counties contains the following formations: Much Wenlock Limestone Formation, 90–300 ft.; Wenlock Shale, up to 1900 ft.; Woolhope or Barr Limestone and shale, 150 ft.

The Ludlow Group are geologic formations deposited during the Ludlow epoch of the Silurian period in the British Isles, in areas of England, Ireland, Scotland, and Wales.

<i>Calymene</i>

Calymene Brongniart, 1822, is a genus of trilobites in the order Phacopida, suborder Calymenina, that are found throughout North America, North Africa, and Europe in primarily Silurian outcrops. Calymene is closely related to Flexicalymene, and both genera are frequently found enrolled. Calymene trilobites are small, typically 2 cm in length. The cephalon is the widest part of the animal and the thorax usually has 13 segments.

<i>Diacalymene</i>

Diacalymene is a genus of trilobite from the order Phacopida, suborder Calymenina. It includes the species D. ouzregui, D. clavicula, D. diademata and D. gabrielsi. It lived in the Ordovician and Silurian periods.

<i>Acaste</i> (trilobite)

Acaste is a genus of extinct trilobite of the order Phacopida which lived throughout the Silurian period. Though many species had been included, it now has only one species, Acaste downingiae. It is characterized by a convex dorsal surface, an absence of spines, a shortening of the head-shield and a general rounding off of all angles.

<i>Calymene blumenbachii</i>

Calymene blumenbachii Brongniart in Desmarest (1817), sometimes erroneously spelled blumenbachi, is a species of trilobite discovered in the limestone quarries of the Wren's Nest in Dudley, England. Nicknamed the Dudley Bug or Dudley Locust by 18th-century quarrymen it became a symbol of the town and featured on the Dudley County Borough Council coat-of-arms. Calymene blumenbachii is commonly found in Silurian rocks and is thought to have lived in the shallow waters of the Silurian, in low-energy reefs. This particular species of Calymene is unique to the Wenlock series in England, and comes from the Wenlock Limestone Formation in Much Wenlock and the Wren's Nest in Dudley. These sites seem to yield trilobites more readily than any other areas on the Wenlock Edge, and the rock here is dark grey as opposed to yellowish or whitish as it appears on other parts of the Edge, just a few miles away, in Church Stretton and elsewhere. This suggests local changes in the environment in which the rock was deposited.

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Avalanchurus is an extinct genus of trilobites from the Silurian period. It was originally described in 1993 as a subgenus of Struszia, and then promoted in 1997 to genus status.

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<i>Bumastus</i> Extinct genus of trilobites

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The Wenlock is the second epoch of the Silurian. It is preceded by the Llandovery Epoch and followed by the Ludlow Epoch. Radiometric dates constrain the Wenlockian between 433.4 and 427.4 million years ago.

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<i>Mackenziurus</i>

Mackenziurus is a genus of phacopid trilobites from the Silurian containing several species, including four named after members of the American punk band the Ramones.

<i>Odontopleura</i> Extinct genus of trilobites

Odontopleura is a genus of spinose odontopleurid trilobite in the family Odontopleuridae, and is the type genus of that family and of Odontopleurida. The various species are found in Upper Ordovician to Middle Devonian marine strata throughout the world. The best studied fossils are of the type species, O. ovata, from the Wenlock-aged Liteň Formation in Loděnice, in Bohemia, Czech Republic, and, southeastern Gotland, of Sweden.

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References

  1. 1 2 3 4 Shergold, J.H. (1966). "A revision of Acaste downingiae (Murchison) and related trilobites" (PDF). Palaeontology. 9 (2): 183–207. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2011-07-16.
  2. "BioLib: Biological library".