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Waukeshaaspis eatonae n. gen. n. sp.: a specialized dalmanitid (Trilobita) from the Telychian of southeastern Wisconsin

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  13 November 2024

Enrique Alberto Randolfe Open the ORCID record for Enrique Alberto Randolfe [Opens in a new window]  and
Kenneth C. Gass Open the ORCID record for Kenneth C. Gass [Opens in a new window]
Enrique Alberto Randolfe
Affiliation:
Centro de Investigaciones en Ciencias de la Tierra, Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas, Universidad Nacional de Córdoba, Av. Vélez Sarsfield 1611, X5016GCA, Córdoba, Argentina
Kenneth C. Gass*
Affiliation:
Milwaukee Public Museum, 800 W. Wells Street, Milwaukee, Wisconsin 53233, USA
*
*Corresponding author.
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Abstract

A new dalmanitid trilobite is described from the early Silurian (Telychian) Waukesha Biota in Wisconsin, USA, best known for its variety of exceptionally preserved arthropods. Waukeshaaspis eatonae new genus new species is the most common trilobite found in the Waukesha Biota, numbering ~200 specimens, allowing a thorough description of the dorsal exoskeleton. This new taxon has a combination of characters unique to the Dalmanitidae, including a distinct embayment on the posterior margin of the pygidium. Embayments are rare for dalmanitids, most species having instead a caudal spine. The lengthening of the genal spines might have served a similar function to that which a caudal spine would have served, allowing the embayment to fulfill a different function, related to keeping an opening when enrolled. The abundance at the preservation site suggests physiological tolerance at the habitation site.

UUID: http://zoobank.org/50a214e3-72f0-4ca2-b8f1-4ad4460bc1d4

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Journal of Paleontology , Volume 98 , Issue 5 , September 2024 , pp. 821 - 829
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Copyright © The Author(s), 2024. Published by Cambridge University Press on behalf of Paleontological Society

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