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
The endopodites of _Ceraurus_, _Calymene_, and _Isotelus_ are all
relatively slender, the segments are parallel-sided, and there seems
to be no particular modification from front to back of the thorax. The
endopodites of _Isotelus_ are short, the entire six segments of one
being but little longer than the coxopodite of the same appendage. The
segments of the endopodites of _Neolenus_ are mostly short and wide,
and at the distal end of the terminal segment there are three stout
spines. In _Kootenia_ the endopodites are long and very slender. The
endopodites of Ptychoparia are too poorly preserved to show details,
and those of the thorax of _Acidaspis_ likewise reveal little
structure, but they seem to have the triangular modification, and to
turn back somewhat sharply at about the position of the carpopodite.
_Pygidium._
Beecher showed that in _Triarthrus_ there was a pair of appendages on
the pygidium for every segment of which it is composed except the last
or anal segment (protopygidium). Walcott has since shown that in
_Neolenus_ this segment bears a pair of cerci, and Beecher's drawings
show that in his later studies he recognized a spinous plate, the
possible bearer of cerci, on the anal segment of _Triarthrus_. The
appendages of the anal segment have not yet been seen on other species
of trilobites.
The appendages of the pygidium do not show any special modifications,
but seem in all cases to be similar to those of the posterior part of
the thorax. In _Cryptolithus_ all the pygidial appendages are short
and remain beneath the cover of the dorsal test, while in _Triarthrus_
and _Neolenus_ they extend behind it.
In the latter genus the endopodites of the pygidial appendages appear
to be practically identical in form with those of the thorax, the
individual segments being perhaps a little more nearly square in
outline. Like those of the thorax, the segments of the pygidial
endopodites bear numerous short spines. The caudal cerci are richly
segmented, slightly flexible, spinous tactile organs. They are
symmetrically placed, nearly straight when in their natural position,
and make an angle of about 75 with one another. They appear to be
attached to a narrow rim-like plate which seems to fit in just ahead
of the doublure of the pygidium, or perhaps over it.
In _Ceraurus_, _Calymene_, and _Isotelus_, the endopodites of the
pygidium are similar to those of the thorax, but seemingly more
slender, with less well developed coxopodites, and with, in the
last-named genus, slender cylindrical segments. Exopodites are not
known on the pygidia of any of these genera, but since they are
present and like those of the thorax in _Triarthrus_, _Cryptolithus_,
_Neolenus_, and _Ptychoparia_, there is little reason to think that
they were absent in _Ceraurus_ or _Calymene_, though there is some
question about _Isotelus_.
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