Kingdom Animalia Class Trilobita Family Asaphiscidae | Phylum Arthropoda Order Ptychopariida Rank Genus | |
Similar Elrathia, Peronopsis, Ptychopariida, Elrathia kingii, Bathyuriscus | ||
Trilobite orange asaphiscus fossil preparation from utah
Asaphiscus is a genus of trilobite that lived in the Cambrian. Its remains have been found in Australia and North America, especially in Utah.
Contents
- Trilobite orange asaphiscus fossil preparation from utah
- Trilobite large asaphiscus wheeleri fossil preparation
- Distribution
- Description
- Reassigned species
- References
Trilobite large asaphiscus wheeleri fossil preparation
Distribution
Description
Asaphiscus are average size trilobites of (up to 8 centimetres or 3.1 inches) with a rather flat calcified dorsal exoskeleton of inverted egg-shaped outline, about 1½× longer than wide, with the widest point near the back of the headshield (or cephalon). The cephalon is about 40% of the body length, is semi-circular in shape, has wide rounded genal angles, and a well defined border of about ⅛× the length of the cephalon. The central raised area of the cephalon (or glabella is conical in outline with a wide rounded front and is separated from the border by a preglabellar field of about ⅛× the length of the cephalon, and has 3 sets of furrows that may be clear or inconspicuous. The articulated middle part of the body (or thorax) has 7-11 segments (9 in A. wheeleri), with rounded tips. The tailshield (or pygidium) is about 30% of the body length, is semi-circular in shape, with a wide flat border, and an entire margin.
Reassigned species
Some species originally described as belonging to Asaphiscus have later been reassigned to other genera.
