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
Some idea of the form of the coxopodites of the cephalic appendages
may be obtained from sections which cut in approximately the plane of
the hypostoma. Such sections are shown in Walcott's photographs (pl.
26, figs. 4, 6, 11, 1918). Specimens 50 (fig. 4, our fig. 13), 51
(fig. 6), 6 (fig. 11), and 40 (our fig. 14) agree in showing two
pairs of slender coxopodites which are attached at the sides of the
hypostoma and run backward parallel and close to it, and two pairs of
larger coxopodites which are behind the hypostoma, although the point
of attachment of the third pair is in front of its tip. The anterior
pair are apparently under-developed and no longer function as mouth
parts, while the posterior two pairs are large and armed on their
inner ends with spines. Specimen 78, which has already been mentioned
in connection with the antennules, shows a second very slender
appendage back of the so-called antennule, which is equally slender,
but is directed outward instead of forward. It seems not improbable,
from their position and similarity, that these two are the endopodites
of the first two appendages on one side of the hypostoma. Specimen 6
shows rather inadequately the endopodites of the second and third
cephalic appendages. I have not found other slices showing endopodites
of the cephalon. Walcott, in both his restorations, has shown
enlarged, paddle-shaped dactylopodites on the distal ends of the
fourth cephalic endopodites. The evidence for this rests principally
on three slices, No. 38 (pl. 26, figs. 9, 10), 53 (pl. 26, fig. 12),
and 43 (pl. 26, fig. 13). Of these, No. 43 may be dismissed at once as
too poorly preserved to be interpreted. No. 53 does show a section of
an appendage which seems to have an unusually wide dactylopodite, but
this slice presents no evidence at all as to the appendage to which
the dactylopodite appertains, nor can one even be sure that there has
not been a secondary enlargement. Specimen 43 shows this feature
much less definitely than is indicated by the published photograph
and drawing. The segment in question is strongly curved, with a
constriction possibly dividing it into two. If it is in its natural
position in this section, it obviously belongs to one of the thoracic
segments and not to the cephalon. With evidence of difference so
unsatisfactory, I prefer to reconstruct the posterior cephalic
endopodites on the same plan as those of the thorax.
[Illustration: Fig. 13.--Slice through _Calymene senaria_ in the plane
of the hypostoma, showing the very slender coxopodites beside that
organ, the spines on the inner end of one of the maxillulæ, and the
anterior position of the attachment of all these appendages. From a
photographic enlargement. Specimen 50. × 4.]
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