Sunday, October 23, 2011

New (for me) Trilobites from Arkona

I don't find whole Trilobites often from the Devonian and when I do they are usually the genera Phacops. That is why I was so pleased to add two new Trilobite species to my collection. Both come from the Middle Devonian (Givetian) aged Widder Formation (Hungry Hollow member) near Arkona, Canada.

First up is a partial Basidechenella that is enrolled next to an enrolled Phacops Trilobite (2 for 1!). As you can see in the picture below the much of the cephalon is missing but the presence of a margin along the edge gives it away.


This is a view of the thorax with the partially exposed Phacops cephalon below.


Now a view of the enrolled Phacops with the Basidechenella at the bottom. This is the first intact (enrolled or prone) specimen of Phacops that I've found at Arkona.


The other new genera is this pygidium from a Crassiproteus. It's small but unique enough to be identifiable.




Adding the specimens above to my collection, along with an intact Greenops from higher in the Widder Fm., gives me four genera of Trilobites from the Widder Fm. If I ever get the chance to collect down in the Arkona Fm. (the next formation below the Hungry Hollow mbr.) then there are several more genera that I could find.

2 comments:

  1. The enrolled double are BOTH Basidechenella. The glabella is smooth, not pustulose and the thorax has a spine on each thoracic central lobe segment, Phacops has none.

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  2. Huh, I see what you are saying. Were these guys in better shape and prepped a little I'd probably have seen that before. Thanks for the help!

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