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Additional Information
Quadrops is a Middle Devonian trilobite from Morocco that is easily identified by the presence of a four pronged rostrum at the anterior of the cephalon.
There are a large number of spines on almost every surface of Quadrops, including spines that extend vertically from the axial and pleural lobes, the shields above the eyes and elsewhere on the cephalon. Spines also extend horizontally from the ends of the pleura and pygidium. The genal spines are long and there is a central swept back spine where the occipital lobe is located.
Trilobites developed defense mechanisms to protect them against an ever growing number of predators in the oceans. In response to the growing danger they developed rudimentary spines reasonably early in the Cambrian period, but the proliferation of larger and more imposing spines reached its apex in the Devonian.
Vendor: fossil soup - ZZ
SKU Number: SQ5388284
Rhombampyx yii trilobite from the Middle Ordovician, Meitan Formation, Zunyi, Guizhou, China.
The distinct oval/rhomboid dome where the anterior needle spine meets the head is the highly inflated glabella. It is slightly compressed but shows the distinctive bulbous shape unique to raphiophorids.
You can clearly see a thin, straight line pointing straight up from the top of the glabella. This is the base of the median snout spine.
The two elongated cheek spines can be seen on either side of the body. In life, these spines flared outward to stabilize the animal or deter predators, but post-mortem movement or burial compaction has curved it around the cephalon.
Full dimensions are listed below.