Olenelloides

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Olenelloides armatus
Temporal range: Late Botomian
519–516  Ma
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Olenelloides NT.jpg
Artist's reconstruction
Scientific classification
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Genus:
Olenelloides

(Peach, 1894)
Species:
O. armatus
Binomial name
Olenelloides armatus
(Peach, 1894)
Synonyms

Olenellus (Olenelloides) armatusPeach, 1894

Olenelloides armatus is an extinct, small sized (about 1 centimetre or 0.39 inches long) olenelloid redlichiid trilobite arthropod. It lived during the later part of the Botomian stage, [1] 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..

Contents

Etymology

The genus is named after its originally supposed close relationship with Olenellus . The species epithet armatus, a Latin adjective meaning 'armoured', is a reference to the fierce looking spines of the head shield.

Occurrence

Olenelloides armatus lived during the late Lower Cambrian deposits presumably contemporary with the middle Olenellus-zone (Wanneria subzone), that probably represents the late Botomian, approximately between 519 and 516 million years ago.

Distribution

Olenelloides armatus has been collected from the Fucoid Beds, Northern slopes of the Meall a'Ghiubhais, County Ross and Cromarty, Scotland, UK. [2]

Description

Restoration of O. armatus Olenelloides armatus.jpg
Restoration of O. armatus

As with most early trilobites, Olenelloides has an almost flat exoskeleton, that is only thinly calcified, and has crescent-shaped eye ridges. As part of the Olenellina suborder, Olenelloides 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 Olenelloides armatus is small (up to 1 cm (0.39 in)) and narrow (less than 12 as wide as long, measured between the base of the outermost spines).

Its head shield (or cephalon) is hexagonal, with three pairs of spines extending from each of the corners of the cephalon, all almost 23 as long as the diameter of the cephalon. The frontal pair (or procranidial spines) have an angle of about 25° to the axis, the middle pair (or genal spines) of about 100°, and the rear pair (or intergenal spines) of about 150°. The intergenal spines do not emerge from the cephalic border, but rather from the sides of the 2nd lobe of the glabella from the back - the scientific convention is to count glabellar lobes back to front, giving them the following names: occipital ring or lobe (OR or OL), 1st lobe (L1), 2nd lobe (L2), 3rd lobe (L3), and anterior lobe (AL or L4) -. The front side of the cephalon is slightly bulging out forward to accommodate the frontal lobe (L4) of the raised central area called glabella. The eye lobes are short, wide and strongly curved, occupying most of the middle 13rd of the area outside the glabella (the 'cheeks' or genae). The occipital ring is wider than the other glabellar lobes, and carries a node on the rear edge at midline.

The thorax has a wide axis of about 25 of the total width of the thorax, not including the spines, and consists of 9 segments. The frontal 3 are equal in size, but segments further back get smaller at an increasing rate. The thorax segments carry a node on the rear edge at midline, that diminishes towards the back. The 1st, 2nd, 4th and 5th thorax segments (counting front to back) do not carry spines, the frontal edge of the outer lobes (or pleurae) suddenly angles back at 150° ending in a blunt tip. The 3rd segment ends laterally in a straight spine that angles back at about 150° and extending backwards beyond the axis. The 6th-10th segments carry spines that curve backwards and increasingly inwards to the midline and extending increasingly less far backwards, the 6th ending parallel to the midline and extending as far back as the spine of the 3rd segment. [2]

Taxonomic history

Ben Peach [3] described the species as Olenellus (Olenelloides) armatus, assigning it to a new subgenus of Olenellus . Other early scholars regarded Olenelloides armatus as a separate genus closely related to Olenellus . McNamara [2] argued that O. armatus developed from Olenellus ancestry through retention of juvenile features (paedomorphosis), and regarded the original ranking more appropriate. More recent scholars however suggest to treat Olenelloides as a peculiar but valid genus within the Olenellidae, and assign it provisionally to the subfamily Laudoniinae. They argue that the absence of a preglabellar field and the presence of advanced genal spines are not immature features, but are shared with Laudonia. [4] Lieberman [5] does not support assignment to the Laudoniinae, and alternatively proposes inclusion in the Biceratopsinae.

Habitat

Olenelloides armatus probably was a fast-moving low-level epifaunal detritivore. [6]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Redlichiida</span> 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>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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Emuellidae</span> 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.

<i>Dikelocephalus</i> Genus of trilobites

Dikelocephalus is a genus of very large trilobites of up to 50 cm (20 in) long, that lived during the last 3 million years of the Cambrian (Sunwaptan). Their fossils are commonly found as disarticulated sclerites, in the upper Mississippi Valley and in Canada (Alberta). The exoskeleton is rounded anteriorly, with the thorax and sides of the tailshield slightly tapering to about 23× of the width across the base of the spines at the back of the headshield. At the side corners of the pygidium there may be triangular or hooked spines, pointing backwards, while between the spines the posterior margin is at a 30-75° angle with the lateral margin, gently convex or nearly straight. If pygidial spines are lacking, the margin is gradually rounded. The thorax has 12 segments.

<i>Analox</i>

Analox Rasetti, 1966 is a genus of Eodiscinid trilobites belonging to the family Weymouthiidae Kobayashi T. (1943), Order Agnostida It lived during the Botomian stage. It can easily be distinguished from other trilobites by the two furrows that extend forwards and sidewards from the front of the glabella.

Meniscuchus is an extinct genus from a well-known class of fossil marine arthropods, the trilobites. It lived during the Botomian stage, which lasted from approximately 522 to 516 million years ago. This faunal stage was part of the Cambrian Period. Meniscuchus has been found in the USA, Canada, Russia and Australia.

<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>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> Cambrian Period genus of trilobites

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

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Holmiidae</span> Family of trilobites

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>Biceratops</i>

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, 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, that is bordering the two horn-like projections that carry the eyes. Biceratops nevadensis 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>Bristoliinae</i>

The Bristoliinae is an extinct subfamily of trilobites, fossil marine arthropods, with species of small to average size. Species belonging to this subfamily lived during the Botomian and Toyonian stage (Olenellus-zone), 522-513 million years ago, in the former continent of Laurentia, including what are today Mexico, the Appalachian Mountains and the south-western United States, and Canada.

Lochmanolenellus is an extinct genus of trilobites, fossil marine arthropods, with one small species, L. mexicana. It lived during the Botomian stage (Olenellus-zone), 522–513 million years ago, in the South-West of the former continent of Laurentia, in what are today Mexico, and the South-Western United States.

<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. Sepkoski, Jack (2002). "A compendium of fossil marine animal genera (Trilobita entry)". Bulletins of American Paleontology. 364: 560. Retrieved 2008-01-12.
  2. 1 2 3 McNamara, K.J. (1978), "Paedomorphosis in Scottish Olenellid Trilobites (Early Cambrian)" (PDF), Palaeontology, vol. 21, no. part 3, pp. 635–655[ permanent dead link ]
  3. Peach, B.N. (1894), "Additions to the fauna of the Olenellus zone of the north-west Highlands", Quarterly Journal of the Geological Society of London, vol. 50, no. 1–4, pp. 661–675, doi:10.1144/gsl.jgs.1894.050.01-04.44, S2CID   140724079
  4. Palmer, A.R.; Repina, L.N. (1993), "Through a Glass Darkly: Taxonomy, Phylogeny and Biostratigraphy of the Olenellina", The University of Kansas Paleontological Contributions, vol. 3, pp. 1–35
  5. Lieberman, B.S. (1998), "Cladistic Analysis of the Early Cambrian Olenelloid Trilobites" (PDF), Journal of Paleontology, vol. 72, no. 1, pp. 59–78, Bibcode:1998JPal...72...59L, doi:10.1017/S0022336000024021, S2CID   86307339
  6. Paleobiology Database