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Sensory field maps of proetide trilobites

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  03 November 2011

Nadine V. Wilmot
Nadine V. Wilmot
Affiliation:
Nadine V. Wilmot, Department of Zoology, The Natural History Museum, Cromwell Road, London SW75BD, U.K.
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Abstract

The sensory fields of four Wenlock trilobites Proetus (Proetus) concinnus, Warburgella (Warburgella) stokesii, Warburgella (Warburgella) scutterdinensis, and Harpidella (Harpidella) maura are described and found to be species specific. Certain features, such as the small cell polygon size, and prismatic layer comprising about one tenth of the cuticle thickness are characteristic of Order Proetida. Intraspecific variation is related to ontogenetic development, most markedly in the field of the free cheek of P. (P.) concinnus. The proetid occipital pustule may have functioned as a light-sensitive organ. The tropidium W. (W.) stokesii is a ridge with a central canal or groove, rather than a tubular structure, and probably contained a sensory receptor rather than a circulatory system. Despite microstructural distribution being species specific, it is of limited practical value in taxonomy as the fine details are easily lost during diagenesis.

Keywords

cuticlemicrostructuresensory receptor
Type
Research Article
Information
Earth and Environmental Science Transactions of The Royal Society of Edinburgh , Volume 82 , Issue 3 , 1991 , pp. 183 - 193
Copyright
Copyright © Royal Society of Edinburgh 1991

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