Bizzare Walliserops hammi Trilobite

Description: This trilobite is a member of the Order Phacopida, Family Acastidae from the Devonian deposits of Ziguilma, Morocco known commercially as the Short Fork Trident Comura. The Chatterton and Brett had erected the genus Parabolops, with the long-forked trident being Parabolops neptunis and the short-forked Parabolops hammi (see my other examples for a fine long-forked example), but the genus remains Waliiserops at present. Some think the differences may be the result of sexual dimorphism. Radical differences between the sexes are common in Arthropods (see some of the scarab beetles, for example). However, there are some half dozen known variants, so unless trilobites had a panoply of sexes the theory does not hold up to scrutiny. Whatever you call it, this is a spectacular example. It differs somewhat from Walliserops hammi by virtue of the fact that the “tines” of the fork are more robust, so I will simply refer to it as Walliserops aff hammi to show its strong affinity for that taxon. The fork has been prepared ebtirely free of matrix for better viewing.There are several members of the genus still awaiting description.

Reference: Palaeontograhica Canadiana, No 25, 2006, pp 33-36