First confident evidence of moulting in eodiscid trilobites from the Cambrian Stage 3 of South China

Trilobite moulting behaviour has been extensively investigated. However, exuviae in eodiscid trilobites are poorly known. Here, we report two eodiscid trilobite specimens, Tsunyidiscus niutitangensis and Tsunyidiscus sp., showing Somersault configuration from the Niutitang Formation and Mingxinsi Fo...

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Detalhes bibliográficos
Autores: Wang, Yifan, Esteve Serrano, Jorge Vicente, Yang, Xinglian, Yu, Rongxing, Wang, Dezhi
Tipo de documento: artigo
Data de publicação:2023
País:España
Recursos:Universidad Complutense de Madrid (UCM)
Repositório:Docta Complutense
Idioma:inglês
OAI Identifier:oai:docta.ucm.es:20.500.14352/88551
Acesso em linha:https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.14352/88551
Access Level:Acceso aberto
Palavra-chave:565.393(510)“6131”
eodiscid trilobites
Somersault configuration
exuviae
Cambrian Stage 3
South China
Paleontología
2416.02 Paleontología de Los Invertebrados
Descrição
Resumo:Trilobite moulting behaviour has been extensively investigated. However, exuviae in eodiscid trilobites are poorly known. Here, we report two eodiscid trilobite specimens, Tsunyidiscus niutitangensis and Tsunyidiscus sp., showing Somersault configuration from the Niutitang Formation and Mingxinsi Formation of South China, respectively (Cambrian Series 2, Stage 3). The arrangements of the exoskeletons indicate that the two specimens are the slightly disturbed and undisturbed exuviae. The impression of the lower cephalic unit (LCU) displays the rostral plate in Tsunyidiscus niutitangensis. The exuviae showing the LCU inverted anteriorly under the trunk. The opening of the facial and rostral sutures would have allowed the emergence of the post-ecdysial trilobite with the partial enrolment of exoskeleton. Moreover, our discovery indicates a Somersault configuration which employed the facial and rostral sutures to create an anterior exuvial gape that also exists in eodiscid trilobites besides redlichiid trilobites, corynexochid trilobites and ptychopariid trilobites during the Cambrian.