Redlichia takooensis



The biggest species in the assemblage, with the large specimens of this trilobite get to be 25 cm (10 inches) long. Redlichia takooensis is also found in the Lower Cambrian of South China. Scale bar = 2 cm.



Occasionally, some specimens preserve appendages. This fossil has the left antenna preserved. The left lateral cephalic border runs from top right corner to bottom left corner. The crescent-shaped structure on the right hand margin, near the bottom, is the eye. A pleuron can be seen bottom right. Field of view = 4 cm.



Hsuaspis bilobata




Hsuaspis is the most common element of the fauna. This trilobite is also found in the Flinders Ranges of South Australia, in New South Wales and in Antarctica. The genus was first described from the Lower Cambrian of South China.. It appears to have affinities with Xystridura from the Middle Cambrian based on ontogenetic studies. This specimen shows abundant iron oxide, some of which has altered to limonite. Scale bar = 5 mm.



This is a juvenile specimen (Meraspid 10 - of 12). By finding several meraspid stages it has been possible to measure the growth patterns during ontogeny and compare them to other otogenetic patterns. Using this, is appears that Hsuaspis is ancestral to Xystridura. The meraspids possess a pair of long genal spines on the head and a pair of long pleural spines on the second thorasic segment - which are greatly reduced in the adult. Scale - width of image = 4 mm.



Naraoia


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Naraoia is a soft bodied trilobite in which the body covering has not subdivided, resulting in a two part exoskeleton composed of the cephalic and thoracic shields. Specimen is 2 cms long.