The Appendages, Anatomy, and Relationships of TrilobitesRaymond, Percy E. (Percy Edward)
Science
The Appendages, Anatomy, and Relationships of Trilobites
Raymond, Percy E. (Percy Edward)
Trilobites
In many modern Crustacea, the antennæ or antennules are modified as
claspers, and it is barely possible that the curious double curvature
of the antennules of Triarthrus indicates a function of this sort. The
antennules of many specimens have the rather formal double curvature,
turning inward at the outer ends, and retain this position of the
frontal appendages, no matter what may be the condition of those on
the body. Other specimens have the antennules variously displaced,
indicating that they are quite flexible. It is conceivable that the
individuals with rigid antennules are males, the others females.
It is interesting to note that the antennules of _Ptychoparia
permulta_ Walcott (1918, pl. 21, fig. 1) have the same recurved form.
All the specimens of Neolenus, however, show very flexible antennas.
Barrande and Salter laid great stress upon the "forme longue" and
"forme large" as indicating male and female. This was based upon the
supposition that the female of any animal would probably have a
broader test than the male, a hypothesis which seems to be very little
supported by fact. In practical application it was found that the
apparent difference was so often due to the state of preservation or
the confusion of two or more species, that for many years little
reference has been made to this supposed sex difference.
EGGS.
In his classic work on the trilobites of Bohemia, Barrande described
three kinds of spherical and one of capsule-shaped bodies which he
considered to be the eggs of trilobites. After a review of the
literature and a study of specimens in the collections of the Museum
of Comparative Zoology, it can be said that none of these fossils has
proved to be a trilobite egg, but that they may be plants. A full
account of them will be published elsewhere.
Walcott (1881) and Billings (1870) have described similar bodies
within the tests of _Calymene_ and _Ceraurus_, but without showing
positive evidence as to their nature.
Methods Of Life.
This is a subject upon which much can be inferred, but little proved.
Without trying to cover all possibilities, it may be profitable to
see what can be deduced from what is known of the structure of the
external test, the internal anatomy, and the appendages. This can, to
a certain extent, be controlled by what is inferred from the strata
in which the specimens are found, the state of preservation, and the
associated animals. (For other details, see the discussion of
"Function of the Appendages" in Part I.)
HABITS OF LOCOMOTION.
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