Biceratops

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Biceratops
Temporal range: Toyonian (Upper Olenellus-zone) 516–513  Ma
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Biceratops nevadensis.JPG
B. nevadensis
Scientific classification
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Biceratops

Pack and Gayle, 1971
Species
  • B. nevadensisPack and Gayle, 1971

Biceratops is an extinct genus of olenelloid redlichiid trilobites, of average size, with the largest specimen 8 centimetres or 3.1 inches long, not including the huge pleural spines of the 3rd segment of the thorax. It lived during the Toyonian stage (last phase of the Upper Olenellus-zone), in what is today the South-Western United States. Biceratops can easily be distinguished from other members of Biceratopsidae by the absence of genal spines, in combination with effaced features of the raised axial area of the head shield (or glabella), that is bordering the two horn-like projections that carry the eyes. [1] Biceratops nevadensis is the only known species in this genus (i.e. the genus is monotypic).

Contents

Etymology

The name of the genus is derived from Latin and means ‘two horned-eyes’. The species epithet refers to the US state where it was collected. [1]

Description

As with most early trilobites, Biceratops has an almost flat exoskeleton, that is only thinly calcified. It also shares crescent-shaped eye ridges, but these rise above the exoskeleton. As part of the Olenellina suborder, Biceratops lacks dorsal sutures. Like all other members of the Olenelloidea superfamily, the eye-ridges spring from the back of the frontal lobe (L4) of the central area of the cephalon, that is called glabella. The exoskeleton of Biceratops is ovate in outline and up to 8 cm in length, disregarding the huge pleural spines of the 3rd thorax segment. The head shield (or cephalon) is semicircular to subtriangular, about twice as wide as long. It has a distinct cephalic border. The glabella is hourglass-shaped and the furrows are indistinct. The small eyes are set on the vertical outside surface of the eyelobes (or papebral lobes), that extend upwards and backwards above the glabella. The cheeks (or genae) are clearly convex. The thorax is about as long as wide and shaped as a shield. The frontal thorax (or prothorax) has 15 segments, the last of which carries a firm, long, backward-directed spine. The 3rd thorax segment is enlarged, the pleura at the axis slightly longer than that of other segments, and about four times as long at the side removed from the axis. Neighbouring pleurae are displaced because of the large pleurae of the 3rd segment. The back thorax (or opistothorax) consists of about 10 progressively smaller segments with insignificant pleurae. Tail shield (or pygidium) not known.

Differences with other Biceratopsinae

All other Biceratopsinae have genal spines.

Distribution

Biceratops nevadensis is known only from the lower part of the Pioche Shale (Upper Olenellus-zone) at the base of the Frenchman Mountain, Clark County, Nevada. [1]

Habitat

Biceratops nevadensis was probably a marine bottom dweller, like all Olenellina.

Ecology

Biceratops nevadensis occurs together with Olenellus fowleri, O. gilberti, O. terminatus and Mesonacis fremonti . [1] [2]

Related Research Articles

Redlichiida Extinct order of trilobites

Redlichiida is an order of trilobites, a group of extinct marine arthropods. Species assigned to the order Redlichiida are among the first trilobites to appear in the fossil record, about halfway during the Lower Cambrian. Due to the difficulty to relate sediments in different areas, there remains some discussion, but among the earliest are Fallotaspis, and Lemdadella, both belonging to this order. The first representatives of the orders Corynexochida and Ptychopariida also appear very early on and may prove to be even earlier than any redlichiid species. In terms of anatomical comparison, the earliest redlichiid species are probably ancestral to all other trilobite orders and share many primitive characters. The last redlichiid trilobites died out before the end of the Middle Cambrian.

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

Dalmanites is a genus of trilobite in the order Phacopida. They lived from the Late Ordovician to Middle Devonian.

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

Olenellus is an extinct genus of redlichiid trilobites, with species of average size. It lived during the Botomian and Toyonian stages (Olenellus-zone), 522 to 510 million years ago, in what is currently North-America, part of the palaeocontinent Laurentia.

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

Paradoxides is a genus of large to very large trilobite found throughout the world during the Middle Cambrian period. One record-breaking specimen of Paradoxides davidis, described by John William Salter in 1863, is 37 cm (15 in). The cephalon was semicircular with free cheeks ending in long, narrow, recurved spines. Eyes were crescent shaped providing an almost 360° view, but only in the horizontal plane. Its elongate thorax was composed of 19-21 segments and adorned with longish, recurved pleural spines. Its pygidium was comparatively small. Paradoxides is a characteristic Middle-Cambrian trilobite of the 'Atlantic' (Avalonian) fauna. Avalonian rocks were deposited near a small continent called Avalonia in the Paleozoic Iapetus Ocean. Avalonian beds are now in a narrow strip along the East Coast of North America, and in Europe.

Emuellidae Extinct family of trilobites

Emuellidae are a small family of trilobites, a group of extinct marine arthropods, that lived during the late Lower Cambrian of the East Gondwana supercontinent, in what are today South-Australia and Antarctica. Emuellidae can be recognized among trilobites in having a set of unique features. The headshield or cephalon has large genal spines reaching back as far as the 3rd to 6th segment of the thorax. The eye-ridges contact the back of the frontal lobe of the glabella and extend laterally and backwards, roughly parallel to the frontal and lateral rim of the cephalon. There are small, clearly incised pits at the junction between the eye-ridge and the frontal lobe of the cephalic axis. The thorax reaches its greatest width at the 6th segment. The frontal part or prothorax consists of 6 segments, with number 5 and 6 fused, and the 6th carrying very large trailing spines. The rear part or opistothorax consists of a variable but extremely large number of segments.

<i>Olenelloides</i>

Olenelloides armatus is an extinct, small sized olenelloid redlichiid trilobite arthropod. It lived during the later part of the Botomian stage, which lasted from approximately 524 to 518.5 million years ago. This faunal stage was part of the Cambrian Period. The most conspicuous feature is the hexagonal head shield that carries 6 ray-like spines..

<i>Wanneria</i>

Wanneria is an extinct genus from a well-known class of fossil marine arthropods, the trilobites. It lived during the later part of the Botomian stage, which lasted from approximately 524 to 518.5 million years ago. This faunal stage was part of the Cambrian Period. Wanneria walcottana is the only known species in this genus.

Elliptocephala is an extinct genus from a well-known class of fossil marine arthropods, the trilobites. It lived from the later part of the Tommotian to the upper Botomian. Elliptocephala can easily be confused with Ellipsocephalus, a trilobite genus of the Ptychopariida order.

<i>Nevadella</i>

Nevadella is an extinct genus of trilobites, fossil marine arthropods, with species of average size. It lived during the late Atdabanian stage, which lasted from 530 to 524 million years ago during the early part of the Cambrian Period.

<i>Nephrolenellus</i>

Nephrolenellus is an extinct genus of trilobite, fossil marine arthropods, of relatively small size. Currently two species are attributed to it. Nephrolenellus lived at the end of the Lower Cambrian. Species are known from the Great Basin of California, Nevada and Arizona, with one specimen from Canada.

<i>Mesonacis</i>

Mesonacis is an extinct genus of trilobite that lived during the Botomian, found in North-America, and the United Kingdom. Some of the species now regarded part of Mesonacis, have previously been assigned to Angustolenellus or Olenellus (Angustolenellus). Angustolenellus is now regarded a junior synonym of Mesonacis.

<i>Fallotaspis</i>

Fallotaspis is a genus of redlichiid trilobite genus found in Early Cambrian-aged strata of the United States and Morocco.

Holmiidae

Holmiidae is a family of trilobites, that lived during the Lower Cambrian (Atdabanian). The Holmiidae is a diverse family of eight genera containing at least 17 species. It includes some of the earliest trilobites of Baltica. Holmiidae occur throughout Baltica and Western Laurentia, and also in Morocco.

<i>Peachella</i>

Peachella is an extinct genus of trilobites, fossil marine arthropods, with species of average size. It lived during the Toyonian stage, 516 to 513 million years ago, in what is today the southwestern United States. It can easily be distinguished from other trilobites by its club-like genal spines.

<i>Eopeachella</i>

Eopeachella is an extinct genus of trilobites, fossil marine arthropods, with species of probably small size, entire, articulate specimens have not yet been found. It lived during the Toyonian stage, in what is today the South-Western United States. Eopeachella angustispina is the only known species in this genus.

Mesolenellus is an extinct genus of trilobites that lived during the lower Cambrian (Botomian), found in Greenland and Spitsbergen.

<i>Odontochile</i> Genus of trilobites

Odontochile is a genus of trilobites in the order Phacopida, family Dalmanitidae.

<i>Bristolia</i>

Bristolia is an extinct genus of trilobite, fossil marine arthropods, with eight or more small to average size species. It is common in and limited to the Lower Cambrian shelf deposits across the southwestern US, which constitutes part of the former paleocontinent of Laurentia.

<i>Emigrantia</i>

Emigrantia is an extinct genus of trilobites, fossil marine arthropods, of small to average size. It lived during the Toyonian stage, in what is today the South-Western United States. Emigrantia can easily be distinguished from other trilobites by the sturdy but not inflated genal spines, that are attached at midlength of the cephalon, in combination with effaced features of the raised axial area of the head shield.

Bolbolenellus is an extinct genus of trilobites, fossil marine arthropods, with five species attributed to it currently. It can be easily distinguished from all other trilobites by the combination of the absence of dorsal sutures in the head shield like all Olenellina, and a distinctly bulbous frontal lobe (L4) of the raised axial area in the head called glabella. The species lived at the end of the Lower Cambrian.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 Pack, P. D.; Gayle, H. B. (2009). "A New Olenellid Trilobite, Biceratops nevadensis, from the Lower Cambrian near Las Vegas, Nevada". Journal of Paleontology. 45 (5): 893–898.
  2. Webster, Mark (2011). "Trilobite Biostratigraphy and Sequence Stratigraphy of the Upper Dyeran (traditional Laurentian 'Lower Cambrian') in the southern Great Basis, U.S.A.". In Hollingsworth, J. Stewart; Sundberg, Frederick A.; Foster, John R. (eds.). Cambrian Stratigraphy and Paleontology of Northern Arizona and Southern Nevada (PDF). Museum of Northern Arizona Bulletin. Vol. 67. Museum of Northern Arizona.