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Trilobites are a group of extinct marine artiopodan arthropods that form the class Trilobita. Trilobites form one of the earliest-known groups of arthropods. The first appearance of trilobites in the fossil record defines the base of the Atdabanian stage of the Early Cambrian period, and they flourished throughout the lower Paleozoic before slipping into a long decline, when, during the Devonian, all trilobite orders except the Proetida died out. The last extant trilobites finally disappeared in the mass extinction at the end of the Permian about 252 million years ago. Trilobites were among the most successful of all early animals, existing in oceans for almost 300 million years.
Ptychopariida is a large, heterogeneous order of trilobite containing some of the most primitive species known. The earliest species occurred in the second half of the Lower Cambrian, and the last species did not survive the Ordovician–Silurian extinction event.
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.
Dalmanites is a genus of trilobite in the order Phacopida. They lived from the Late Ordovician to Middle Devonian.
Olenoides was a trilobite from the Cambrian period. Its fossils are found well-preserved in the Burgess Shale in Canada. It grew up to 10 cm long.
Elrathia is a genus of ptychopariid trilobite species that lived during the Middle Cambrian of Utah, and possibly British Columbia. E. kingii is one of the most common trilobite fossils in the USA locally found in extremely high concentrations within the Wheeler Formation in the U.S. state of Utah. E. kingii has been considered the most recognizable trilobite. Commercial quarries extract E. kingii in prolific numbers, with just one commercial collector estimating 1.5 million specimens extracted in a 20-year career. 1950 specimens of Elrathia are known from the Greater Phyllopod bed, where they comprise 3.7% of the community.
"...trilobite occupied the exaerobic zone, at the boundary of anoxic and dysoxic bottom waters. E. kingii consistently occur in settings below the oxygen levels required by other contemporaneous epifaunal and infaunal benthic biota and may have derived energy from a food web that existed independently of phototrophic primary productivity. Although other fossil organisms are known to have preferred such environments, E. kingii is the earliest-known inhabitant of them, extending the documented range of the exaerobic ecological strategy into the Cambrian Period."
Aegrotocatellus is a genus of trilobite in the order Phacopida, which existed in what is now Nunavut, Canada. It was named by Adrain and Edgecombe in 1995, and the type species is Aegrotocatellus jaggeri, a species named after British musician Mick Jagger.
Burmeisteria is a genus of trilobites in the order Phacopida that existed during the lower Devonian in what is now South Africa. It was described by Salter in 1865, and the type species is Burmeisteria herschelii, which was originally described under the genus Homalonotus by Murchison in 1839. It also contains the species B. accraensis, B. acuminata, and B. noticus. The type locality was the Bokkeveld Group.
Calymenella is a genus of trilobites in the order Phacopida, which existed in what is now France during the upper Ordovician. It was described by Bergeron in 1890, and the type species is Calymenella boisseli. The species was described from the Glauzy Formation in the Montagne Noire mountain range.
Digonus is a genus of trilobites in the order Phacopida, that existed during the lower Devonian in what is now Germany. It was described by Gurich in 1909, and the type species is Digonus gigas, which was originally described under the genus Homalonotus by Roemer in 1843. It also contains the species Digonus accraensis and Digonus noticus, Digonus vialai, and Digonus zemmourensis. The type locality was in the Harz mountains.
Encrinuroides is a genus of trilobites in the order Phacopida, that existed during the upper Ordovician in what is now Wales. It was described by Reed in 1931, and the type species is Encrinuroides sexcostata, which was originally described under the genus Cybele by Salter in 1848. It also contains the species, Encrinuroides enshiensis, Encrinuroides insularis, and Encrinuroides rarus. The type locality was in the Sholeshook Limestone Formation.
Estoniops is a genus of trilobites in the order Phacopida, that existed during the upper Ordovician in what is now Estonia. It was described by Mannil in 1958, and the type species is Estoniops exilis, which was originally described under the genus Acaste by Eichwald in 1858. Its generic name is derived from the country in which it was first discovered.
Hintzeia is a genus of trilobites in the order Phacopida, that existed during the lower Ordovician in what is now the United States. It was described by Harrington in 1957, and the type species is Hintzeia aemula, which was originally described under the genus Protopliomerops by Hintze in 1953. Harrington also moved two other Protopliomerops species, P. celsaora and P. firmimarginis, under Hintzeia. The generic name is derived from that of the type species' author. The type locality was the Fillmore Formation in Utah.
Kanoshia is a genus of trilobites in the order Phacopida, that existed during the middle Ordovician in what is now Utah, USA. It was described by Harrington in 1957, and the type species is Kanoshia kanoshensis, which was originally described under the genus Pseudomera by Hintze in 1953. It also contains the species K. depressus and K. reticulata. The generic name is derived from the type species' epithet, which in turn is derived from the name of the type locality, the Kanosh Formation.
The Pterygometopidae are a family of trilobites, that is known from the Floian to the Katian (Ordovician), and reappears from the Telychian to the Sheinwoodian (Silurian). As part of the Phacopina suborder, its members have schizochroal eyes.
Micragnostus is a genus of trilobite in the order Agnostida, which existed in what is now north Wales. It was described by Howell in 1935, and the type species is Micragnostus calvus, which was originally described as a species of Agnostus by Lake in 1906.
Bumastus is an extinct genus of corynexochid trilobites which existed from the Early Ordovician period to the Late Silurian period. They were relatively large trilobites, reaching a length of 6 in (15 cm). They were distinctive for their highly globular, smooth-surfaced exoskeleton. They possessed well-developed, large compound eyes and were believed to have dwelled in shallow-water sediments in life.
Proetus is a genus of proetid trilobite found in Silurian-aged marine strata of Europe.
Hedstroemia is a genus of trilobites in the order Proetida known from the Silurian period of Europe, Asia, and North America.
The Artiopoda is a grouping of extinct arthropods that includes trilobites and their close relatives. It was erected by Hou and Bergström in 1997 to encompass a wide diversity of arthropods that would traditionally have been assigned to the Trilobitomorpha. Hou and Bergström used the name Lamellipedia as a superclass to replace Trilobitomorpha that was originally erected at the subphylum level, which they considered inappropriate.
References
- ↑ Available Generic Names for Trilobites P.A. Jell and J.M. Adrain.
