PTYCHOPARIIDA ::  

The Order PTYCHOPARIIDA (Swinnerton, 1915)

The Ptychopariida being about a great heterogeneous order. The relative simple structure of this representatives shows the typical characteristics of primitive trilobites. Thus this trilobites featuring a distincted preglabellar field. The glabella is anterior tapering. Furthermore according to this, they have small furrowed pygidia.

The Ptychopariida are covering the Suborders Ptychopariina and Olenina.

 

The image shows a representative of the superfamily Ellipsocephaloidea.

 

Ellipsocephalus hoffi

 

Epoch

Lower Cambrian to Upper Ordovician.

Cephalon

Among the already upper- mentioned characteristics, the PTYCHOPARIIDA are featuring a broad cephalon, with genal spines at many species. A furrowed glabella with 3 pairs of furrows is typical. The sutures are normally running ophistoparian (Gr.- cheek). Between the PTYCHOPARIIDA there are blins species, too. The representatives of this Order are featuring a natant hypostome.

Thorax

 

In the majority of cases the great thorax has 8 up to 17 segments. At the Olenoina up to 24 segments are to be found.

 

Pygidium

 

Regarding size and structures the pygidium varied species-specific. Whereas the early species featuring little pygidia with fringe, the species  of later periods featuring big pygidia without fringe. Some representatives of Olenina have spines.

 

 


 
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