Encrinuridae Explained

Encrinuridae is a family of trilobite within the order Phacopida that lived in what would be Africa, Asia, Australia, Europe, North America, and South America from the middle Ordovician to the early Devonian from, existing for approximately 66.7 million years.^[1]

Taxonomy

Encrinuridae was named by Angelin (1854). It was assigned to Phacopida by Gregory Edgecombe (1994).^[2] It contains the following genera:^[3]

• Aegrotocatellus
• Alwynulus
• Atractocybeloides
• Atractopyge
• Avalanchurus
• Balizoma
• Batocara
• Bevanopsis
• Billevittia
• Brianurus
• Celtencrinurus
• Coronaspis
• Coronocephalus
• Cromus
• Curriella
• Cybele
• Cybeloides
• Cybelurus
• Dayongia
• Deacybele
• Dindymene
• Distyrax
• Dnestrovites
• Elsarella
• Encrinuroides
• Encrinurus
• Eodindymene
• Erratencrinurus
• Fragiscutum
• Frammia
• Frencrinuroides
• Johntempleia
• Kailia
• Koksorenus
• Langgonia
• Lasaguaditas
• Libertella
• Lyrapyge
• Mackenziurus
• Mitchellaspis
• Nucleurus
• Oedicybele
• Paracybeloides
• Paraencrinurus
• Parakailia
• Perirehaedulus
• Perryus
• Physemataspis
• Plasiaspis
• Prophysemataspis
• Prostrix
• Rielaspis
• Rongxiella
• Sinocybele
• Staurocephalus
• Stiktocybele
• Struszia
• Tewonia
• Walencrinuroides
• Wallacia

Fossil distribution

Fossils were found in strata dating from the Arenig to Lochkovian ages. Locations were varied and stretched from Florentine Valley, Tasmania to Xinjiang Province, China to Will County, Illinois.

Sources

• Fossils (Smithsonian Handbooks) by David Ward
• Trilobites by Riccardo Levi-Setti
• Invertebrate Palaeontology and Evolution by E.N.K. Clarkson
• Trilobites: Common Trilobites of North America (A NatureGuide book) by Jasper Burns

External links

• Encrinurus in the Paleobiology Database

Notes and References

1. http://paleodb.org/cgi-bin/bridge.pl?action=checkTaxonInfo&taxon_no=97159&is_real_user=1 PaleoBiology Database: Encrinuridae, basic info
2. Edgecombe . Gregory D. . New Lower Silurian (Llandovery) encrinurine trilobites from the Mackenzie Mountains, Canada . Journal of Paleontology . 1994 . 68 . 4 . 824–837 . 10.1017/S0022336000026263 . 1306150 . 1994JPal...68..824E . 132373442 .
3. Web site: Order Phacopida . S. M. Gon III . November 21, 2010.