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
Dalman (1826, 1828) reviewed the opinions of his predecessors, and
thought it not impossible that organs of mastication may have been
present under the head shield of the trilobite as in _Limulus_ (1828,
p. 18). In this he of course followed Wahlenberg.
Goldfuss (1828) figured sections of _Dalmanites hausmanni_, _Phacops
macrophthalma_, and _Calymene tristani_, which remind one of some of
Doctor Walcott's translucent slices. So far as one can judge from the
illustrations, it is probable that what he took for limbs were really
fragments of other trilobites. Such is certainly the case in his
figures 9 and 10, where a number of more or less broken thoracic
segments are present. The section of _Encrinurus punctatus_ shown in
figure 7 may possibly exhibit the position and folds of the ventral
membrane beneath the axial lobe, and also, perhaps, the appendages.
His figures 4, 5 and 8 show the hypostoma in section.
Pander (1830) described the hypostoma in greater detail than had been
done by previous authors, but otherwise added nothing to the subject.
Sternberg (1830) thought he had individuals showing appendages, but
judging from his poor figures, he was deceived by fragmentary
specimens.
Green (1839 A, B, C) described specimens of _Phacops_ from Berkeley
Springs, West Virginia, which had the hypostoma in position, and
appear to have had a tubular opening under the axial lobe. While
appendages were not actually present, these specimens suggested fairly
correct ideas about the swimming and breathing organs of trilobites.
They were similar to the ones which Castelnau obtained, and all were
perhaps from the same locality.
It is not worth while to do more than enumerate the other authors of
this period: Hisinger 1837, Emmrich 1839, Milne-Edwards 1841, for they
all shared the same views, and added nothing to what was already
known.
Castelnau (1843) described and figured a _Phacops_ said to come from
Cacapon Springs, West Virginia, which he thought possessed remains of
appendages. There is nothing in the description or figures to indicate
exactly what was present, but it is very unlikely that any limbs were
preserved. The broad thin "appendage" figured may have been a fragment
of a thoracic segment. This specimen was evidently described by
Castelnau before 1843, as is inferred from a reference in the Neues
Jahrbuch, 1843, P. 504, but I have not seen the earlier publication.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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