Peronopsidae

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Peronopsidae
Temporal range: terminal Toyonian to earliest Batyrbayan
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Itagnostus interstrictus - Wheeler Schale, Utah, USA - Cambrian period ([?] -507 MA) - 39.25degN 113.33degW .jpg
Itagnostus interstrictus, until recently known as Peronopsis interstricta, from the Wheeler Shale, Utah
Scientific classification
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Peronopsidae

Westergård, 1936
genera
Synonyms

Archaeagnostinae, Quadragnostinae

The Peronopsidae (which may also be called peronopsids) comprise the earliest family of the Agnostina suborder. Species of this family occurred on all paleocontinents. The earliest representatives of this family first occur just before the start of the Middle Cambrian, and the last disappeared just after the start of the Upper Cambrian.

Supercontinent Landmass comprising more than one continental core, or craton

In geology, a supercontinent is the assembly of most or all of Earth's continental blocks or cratons to form a single large landmass. However, many earth scientists use a different definition: "a clustering of nearly all continents", which leaves room for interpretation and is easier to apply to Precambrian times.

Contents

Distribution

Peronopsidae are cosmopolitan.

Temporal distribution

Temporal distribution:

Archaeagnostus genus of trilobites (fossil)

Archaeagnostus is an extinct genus from a well-known class of fossil marine arthropods, the trilobites. It lived from the terminal Toyonian to early Amgaian. Species belonging to this genus have been found in Eastern North America, Newfoundland, the Henson Gletscher Formation in Greenland, the Nekekit and Molodo Rivers in Eastern Siberia, and in Guizhou, China.

Trilobites are used as index fossils to subdivide the Cambrian period. Assemblages of trilobites define trilobite zones. The Olenellus-zone has traditionally marked the top of the Lower Cambrian, and is followed by the Eokochaspis zone.

Eoagnostus is an extinct genus from a well-known class of fossil marine arthropods, the trilobites. It lived during the terminal Lower Cambrian (Toyonian), until the earliest Middle Cambrian.

Taxonomy

The Peronopsidae are considered to be the earliest family of the Agnostina. This implicates that the earliest Peronopsid genus (Archaeagnostus) probably descended directly from the Eodiscoid genus Tannudiscus (Weymouthiidae). [2] Some scholars do not consider the Agnostina true trilobites, and consequently rejected the idea that they were related to the Eodiscina. [3] [4]

Eodiscina suborder of arthropods (fossil)

Eodiscina is a suborder of trilobites, a well known group of marine arthropods. The Eodiscina first developed near the end of the Lower Cambrian period and became extinct at the end of the Middle Cambrian. They are small or very small, and have a thorax of two or three segments. Eodiscina includes six families classified under one superfamily, Eodiscoidea.

Tannudiscus is an extinct genus from a well-known class of fossil marine arthropods, the trilobites. It lived during the upper Lower Cambrian, with remains found in Canada (Newfoundland), China (Gansu), The United Kingdom (England), and the Russian Federation.

Weymouthiidae

The Weymouthiidae are an extinct family of eodiscinid agnostid trilobites. They lived during the late Lower Cambrian and earliest Middle Cambrian in the so-called Olenellus- and Eokochaspis-zones in the former paleocontinents of Laurentia, Avalonia, Gondwana. The Weymouthiidae are all blind and lack free cheeks.

Relations within the Peronopsidae

Relations between the subgenera of Peronopsis (light green), other peronopsid genera (darker green), the ancestral (orange) and descending families (other colors) Gradogram Peronopsidae.jpg
Relations between the subgenera of Peronopsis (light green), other peronopsid genera (darker green), the ancestral (orange) and descending families (other colors)

Many lineages are thought to have evolved within the Peronopsidae, six of which gave rise to later Agnostina families.

Ptychagnostidae family of arthropods (fossil)

Ptychagnostidae is a family of agnostid trilobites from the 5th Stage to the Paibian Age of the Cambrian. The family includes several important index fossils.

Agnostidae family of trilobites (fossil)

Agnostidae is a family of Agnostida trilobites. Like all Agnostina, they were eyeless and only bore two thoracic segments. They ranged in benthic waters across the globe from 508 to 461 million years ago, containing the following genera, among others:

Ammagnostidae is a family of trilobites in the suborder Agnostina, small, eyeless, isopygous trilobites with a thorax consisting of 2 segments only. Four genera have been assigned to it:

Genera previously assigned to the Peronopsidae

Description

Like all Agnostida, members of the Peronopsidae are diminutive, with the headshield (or cephalon) and tailshield (or pygidium) of approximately the same size (or isopygous) and outline. Like all Agnostina, Peronopsidae have only two thorax segments. The cephalon and pygidium usually have a complete set of furrows. The preglabellar furrow - between the front and the central raised area of the cephalon (or glabella) - is lacking or incomplete. The cephalon carries no spines. The border around the pygidium is not forked. [1]

Pygidium

The pygidium is the posterior body part or shield of crustaceans and some other arthropods, such as insects and the extinct trilobites. It contains the anus and, in females, the ovipositor. It is composed of fused body segments, sometimes with a tail, and separated from thoracic segments by an articulation.

Related Research Articles

<i>Acidiscus</i>

Acidiscus is an extinct genus of eodiscinid agnostid trilobites. It lived during the Botomian stage of the Cambrian period.

Acadagnostus is a genus of trilobite from the Middle Cambrian, with 7 species currently recognized. The type species A. acadicus has the widest distribution known from any peronopsid and has been found in North America, Greenland, England, Western Europe, Eastern Europe, Central Asia, the Altai Mountains, the Siberian shield, China, and Australia.

<i>Peronopsis</i> genus of trilobites (fossil)

Peronopsis is a genus of trilobite restricted to the Middle Cambrian. Its remains have been found in Asia, Australia, Europe, and North America.

Wheeler Shale

The Wheeler Shale is a Cambrian (c. 507 Ma) fossil locality world famous for prolific agnostid and Elrathia kingii trilobite remains and represents a Konzentrat-Lagerstätten. Varied soft bodied organisms are locally preserved, a fauna and preservation style normally associated with the more famous Burgess Shale. As such, the Wheeler Shale also represents a Konservat-Lagerstätten.

<i>Ptychagnostus</i> genus of trilobites (fossil)

Ptychagnostus is an extinct genus of blind trilobite that lived during the Cambrian period, part of the order Agnostida. Ptychagnostidae generally do not exceed ten millimetres in length. Their remains are sometimes found in the otherwise empty tubes of the polychaete worm Selkirkia. It probably lived in the water column. Its major characteristics are lack of eyes, two lobes on the glabella, and three lobes on the pygidium.

Acmarhachis is a genus of trilobite in the order Agnostida, which lived in what are now Australia, Canada, China (Anhui), Kazakhstan, Russia (Kharaulakh), and the US. It was described by Resser in 1938, and the type species is Acmarhachis typicalis.

<i>Glyptagnostus reticulatus</i> species of trilobite (fossil)

Glyptagnostus reticulatus is a species of agnostid trilobite belonging to the genus Glyptagnostus. It existed during the Paibian Age of the Cambrian. It has a cosmopolitan distribution and is an important index fossil in biostratigraphy. It was characterized by an unusual net-like pattern of furrows on both the cephalon and the pygidium.

Agnostotes orientalis is a species of agnostid trilobite belonging to the genus Agnostotes. It existed during the Jiangshanian Age of the Cambrian. It is an important index fossil in biostratigraphy.

<i>Sphaeragnostus</i> genus of arthropods (fossil)

Sphaeragnostus is an extinct genus from a well-known class of fossil marine arthropods, the trilobites. It can be recognized by having two thorax segments, a totally effaced headshield, while the tailshield although effaced, has a clear furrow parallel to its border, and a short, convex, subcircular axis. It lived during the Ordovician.

<i>Itagnostus</i> genus of trilobites (fossil)

Itagnostus is a genus of trilobite restricted to the Middle Cambrian. Its remains have been found in Asia, Australia, Europe, and North America.

Condylopygidae family of arthropods (fossil)

The Condylopygidae are a family of very small trilobites, that lived during the Middle Cambrian, and has been found in Canada, the Czech Republic, Germany, France, Spain, England, Wales, Sweden, and the Russian Federation (Siberia). They uniquely differ from all other Agnostina in having the frontal lobe of the central raised area of the headshield wider than the rear lobe. The Condylopygidae are the only family assigned to the Condylopygoidea superfamily.

Diplorrhina is a genus of trilobites, a well known class of extinct marine arthropods. It lived during the early Middle Cambrian in what are now the Czech Republic and the North Siberian plateau. Like all agnostina it has a headshield (or cephalon and tailshield (or pygidium of approximately the same shape and size, and two thorax segments. Like other members of the Peronopsidae family, it lacks a furrow connecting the furrow surrounding the central raise area of the cephalon and the furrow that defines the border of the cephalon. Both the cephalon and the pygidium lack spines. It is difficult to distinguish from many other peronopsids.

<i>Toragnostus</i> genus of arthropods (fossil)

Toragnostus is a genus of trilobites restricted to the late Middle Cambrian. Its remains have been found in the United States, Greenland, Denmark, China, Sweden, the Russian Federation, and Kazakhstan. Its headshield and tailshield are almost completely effaced and it has two thorax segments.

Eodiscidae family of arthropods (fossil)

Eodiscidae is a family of agnostid trilobites that lived during the final Lower Cambrian and the Middle Cambrian. They are small or very small, and have a thorax of two or three segments. Eodiscidae includes nine genera.

Schmalenseeia is genus of trilobites of uncertain affinity, that lived during the middle Middle to earliest Upper Cambrian. Species assigned to Schmalenseeia have been found in Norway, Sweden, Northern Siberia, Eastern China, Australia (Tasmania), India (Himalayas) and the United Kingdom.

Plutonides is a genus of trilobite, an extinct group of marine arthropods. Species occur in the middle Middle Cambrian of Russia (Siberia), Mongolia, England and Wales, Sweden, eastern Canada, and the Czech Republic. The frontal lobe of the central raised area of the headshield overhangs the short frontal border and it is slightly pointed, rather than rounded or truncate. This character is shared with Anabaraspis, but in Anabaraspis there is a wide area in front of the glabella without a differentiated border and preglabellar field.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 Naimark, E.B. (2012). "Hundred species of the Genus Peronopsis Hawle et Corda, 1847". Paleontological Journal. 46 (9): 945–1057. doi:10.1134/S0031030112090018.
  2. Whittington, H. B. et al. Part O, Treatise on Invertebrate Paleontology. Revised, Volume 1 – Trilobita – Introduction, Order Agnostida, Order Redlichiida. 1997
  3. Shergold, John H. (1991). "Protaspid and early meraspid growth stages of the eodiscoid trilobite Pagetia ocellata Jell, and their implications for classification". Alcheringa: An Australasian Journal of Palaeontology. 15 (1): 65–86. doi:10.1080/03115519108619010.
  4. Westrop, S.R.; Landing, E. (2012). "Lower Cambrian (Branchian) eodiscoid trilobites from the lower Brigus formation, Avalon Peninsula, Newfoundland, Canada". Memoirs of the Association of Australasian Palaeontologists. 42: 209–262.