Creature 303: Dicranurus

Spiny trilobites

Dicranurus is a genus of 3 species of trilobites.

This genus is recognized by the large spine like structures protruding from its body, particularly the two big ones protruding from the back of the head. These were very likely some kind of defense mechanism.

Distribution:
These bizarre creatures lived in the early  Devonian period (around 395 to 420 million years ago).
Their fossils can be found in both Morocco and Oklahoma, which may seem strange under Earth's current configuration, but back then they were only separated by a body of water.

Classification:
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Trilobita
Order: Lichida
Family: Odontopleuridae
Genus: Dicranurus

Image Links:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dicranurus

http://museumvictoria.com.au/melbournemuseum/discoverycentre/600-million-years/timeline/devonian/dicranurus/

Creature 189: Walliserops

Poseidon's pet.

This is the first trilobite I have posted in this blog and for that I apologize to any trilobite fans out there. For those of you who have not heard of trilobites, they were a group of aquatic arthropods which exploded in diversity during the Canbrian. They are the most common type of fossile we find from that era. They slowly went extinct as time went on before they were finally finished off bu the Permian extinction.

Description:
Walliserops is a genus of strange looking trilobite which have all been described recently (since 2001).

As you may have noticed this trilobite has a sort of trident hanging off the front of their head. This structure looks a little like something which wpuld be carried by Poseidon, the Greek god of the ocean. No one is exactly sure what this structure was for, although there are several theories. They also have three long curved dorsal spines and several small lateral spines.

Distribution:
All known specimens come from Southern Morocco and are lower to middle Devonian in age.

Classification:
There are three recognised species in the genus Walliserops.
Kingdom:Animalia
Phylum:Arthropoda
Class: Trilobita
Order: Phacopida
Family: Acastidae
Genus: Walliserops

Image Links:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Walliserops

http://www.fossilmall.com/EDCOPE_Enterprises/trilobites/mtrilo77/moroccantrilobite77b.htm