Declivolithus titan Trinucleid Trilobite

Description: This is an unusual trilobite from the late Ordovician of Morocco known as Declivolithus. First described from the Czech Republic, this one was previously referred to D alfredi, but has been given a new name recently to differentiate it from the European taxon. Note the ornamentation to the edge of the cephalic rim. To what purpose were the crenulations? Possibly they served some hydrodynamic function, helping to hold the trilobite on the seafloor in the presence of a current. Whatever the purpose, this is a dramatic example of the taxon, and q very 3-D example of this unusual Trinucelid.

Reference: Bulletin of Geosciences, Vol 92, No 3, 2017, pp1-12.