The Appendages, Anatomy, and Relationships of Trilobites — John Shaqi
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
Head. A portion of what may be an antenna projects from beneath the
right anterior margin; from near the left posterolateral angle a
large four-jointed appendage extends backward. I assume that this
may be the outer portion of the large posterior appendage (maxilla)
of the head.
Thorax. Traces of several slender-jointed thoracic legs project
from beneath the anterior segments and back of these on the right
side more or less of six legs have been pushed out from beneath the
dorsal shield; these are composed of three or four long slender
joints; fragments of the three proximal joints indicate that they
are shorter and larger and that they have a fringe of fine setæ.
Indications of a branchial lobe (gill) are seen in two specimens
where the legs are not preserved. This is often the case both among
the Merostomata (pl. 29, fig. 3, _Molaria_) and Trilobita (pl. 24,
fig. 2, _Ptychoparia_).
Two caudal rami project a little distance beneath the posterior
margin of the dorsal shield.
This latter feature of course suggests _Neolenus_. The other
appendages are too poorly preserved to allow comparison without seeing
the specimen.
The specific name was given "on account of its suggesting a transition
between a Merostome-like form, such as _Molaria spinifera_, and the
trilobites." In what respect it is transitional does not appear.
Formation and locality: Same as that of _Neolenus serratus_. One
nearly complete specimen and a few fragments were found.
The Appendages of Isotelus.
HISTORICAL.
The first specimen of _Isotelus_ with appendages was described orally
by Billings before the Natural History Society of Montreal in 1864,
and in print six years later (1870, p. 479, pls. 31, 32). The specimen
is described in detail on a later page. Billings recognized the
remains of eight pairs of legs on the thorax, a pair for each segment,
and he inferred from the fact that the appendages projected forward
that they were ambulatory rather than natatory organs. He was unable
to make out the exact number of the segments in the appendages, but
thought each showed at least four or five.
Having examined the individual sent to London by Billings, Woodward
(1870, p. 486, fig, 1) reviewed the collection from the American
Trenton in the British Museum and found a specimen in the "Black
Trenton limestone," from Ottawa, Ontario, in which, alongside the
hypostoma, was a jointed appendage, which he described as the "jointed
palpus of one of the maxillæ." This has always been considered an
authentic "find," but I am informed by Doctor Bather that the specimen
does not show any real appendage. For further discussion, see under
_Isotelus gigas_.
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