Estaingia bilobata
- 演化之聲
- Mar 18
- 2 min read
Age
Cambrian（"Stage 4"）
514 Ma
Taxonomy
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Trilobita
Order: Redlichiida
Family: Estaingiidae
Genus: Estaingia
Species: Estaingia bilobata
Morphological description
Estaingia bilobata is a small trilobite, reaching about 2 cm in length. The genal spines are of moderate length. The thorax consists of 13 segments, with relatively short pleural spines. The pygidium is small, and the posterior end of the axial lobe is distinctly bilobed.
Etymology
Estaing: refers to the locality where the specimens were discovered
bi: Latin, meaning two
lobata: Latin, meaning lobed
Together referring to the bilobed termination of the pygidial axis
Biological description
Fossils of Estaingia bilobata have been collected from the Emu Bay area of Kangaroo Island, Australia. This species is the type species of the genus. It is relatively small in size but highly abundant, accounting for approximately 80% of the known specimens in the local assemblage.
A small proportion of individuals show injuries consistent with failed predation attempts. Based on its abundance and body size, researchers infer that this species occupied a lower trophic level and served as an important food source within the ecosystem. It was likely preyed upon by larger trilobites and durophagous arthropods, such as Redlichia rex.
（Author: Bai Leng）
References
Nedin, C. (1995). "The Emu Bay Shale, a Lower Cambrian fossil Lagerstätte, Kangaroo Island, South Australia". Memoirs of the Association of Australasian Palaeontologists
Bicknell, R. D., Holmes, J. D., García-Bellido, D. C., Paterson, J. R. (2023). Malformed individuals of the trilobite Estaingia bilobata from the Cambrian Emu Bay Shale and their palaeobiological implications. Cambridge University Press
白水. 三葉蟲圖鑑 V1.1
-35.6, 137.5
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