Archive for 2012
Walliserops trifurcatus anatomy
Monday, June 11th, 2012The trilobite body plan comprises three sections. Anterior to posterior, they are: the cephalon, thorax, and pygidium. Trilobites get their name from the three lobes that run longitudinally from the thorax to the pygidium. The pleural lobes are found on either side and the axial lobe is in the center.
Trilobites from the genus Walliserops are unique for having a dramatic trident-like appendage that extends from the glabella at the front of the cephalon. The purpose of the trident is currently unknown. In fact, at the end of his lecture at the 150th anniversary of Oxford University (2011), trilobite expert Richard Fortey of Cambridge University invites the audience to hypothesize because in his words, “I have no idea what the trident was for.”