Ontogeny of Drevermannia and the origin of blindness in late devonian proetoid trilobites
By: Aubril, Rudy Lerosey.
Material type: ArticleDescription: 89-104pp ; Illustration.Subject(s): Trilobita | Proetidae | Ontogeny | Famennian | Palaeoecology In: Geological magazine : Vol. 143 Iss. 1-6 Year. 2006Summary: Numerous silicified and calcareous sclerites of various sizes, recovered from the latest Famennian of Thuringia (Germany), allow the description of the first complete growth series of a blind proetoid trilobite: Drevermannia richteri. In addition, the partial ontogenetic development of Drevermannia antecurvata sp. nov. and undetermined species, Drevermannia sp. 1, are described. The proetoid anaprotaspides, associated with D. richteri, illustrate that a marked increase in larval size occurred prior to the terminal Devonian extinction event. Considering the homogeneity of larval size in older Devonian proetoids, it is interpreted as evidence that the developmental strategy of these trilobites was significantly modified. Though largely speculative, two alternative hypotheses are proposed to explain this modification. Finally, all three ontogenetic sequences show that ocular structures never develop externally in Drevermannia, but also illustrate that the development of optical nerves is not completely lost in this group. This suggests that blindness in the Drevermannia lineage followed a centripetal mode of eye reduction.Item type | Current location | Collection | Call number | Status | Date due | Barcode |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Article | Library and Information Centre Periodical Section | Bound Journal Collection | Not for loan | 002538_06 | ||
Serials/Scientific Journal | Library and Information Centre Periodical Section | Bound Journal Collection | 550 GEO (Browse shelf) | Available | 002538 |
Numerous silicified and calcareous sclerites of various sizes, recovered from the latest Famennian of Thuringia (Germany), allow the description of the first complete growth series of a blind proetoid trilobite: Drevermannia richteri. In addition, the partial ontogenetic development of Drevermannia antecurvata sp. nov. and undetermined species, Drevermannia sp. 1, are described. The proetoid anaprotaspides, associated with D. richteri, illustrate that a marked increase in larval size occurred prior to the terminal Devonian extinction event. Considering the homogeneity of larval size in older Devonian proetoids, it is interpreted as evidence that the developmental strategy of these trilobites was significantly modified. Though largely speculative, two alternative hypotheses are proposed to explain this modification. Finally, all three ontogenetic sequences show that ocular structures never develop externally in Drevermannia, but also illustrate that the development of optical nerves is not completely lost in this group. This suggests that blindness in the Drevermannia lineage followed a centripetal mode of eye reduction.
There are no comments for this item.