Calodiscidae

Calodiscidae Temporal range: Lower Cambrian PreЄ Є O S D C P T J K Pg N ↓
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Arthropoda
Class:	Trilobita
Order:	Agnostida
Suborder:	Eodiscina
Superfamily:	Eodiscoidea
Family:	Calodiscidae Kobayashi, 1943
genera
Calodiscus Korobovia Neocobboldia Pseudocobboldia Sinodiscus[1]
Synonyms
Brevidiscinae, Neocobboldinae

The Calodiscidae are a family of trilobites belonging to the order Agnostida that lived during the Lower Cambrian (Botomian and Toyonian). They are small or very small, and have a thorax of two or three segments. The Hebediscidae include five genera (see box).

Taxonomy

The probable ancestors of the Calodiscidae are among the Tsunydiscidae. The Calodiscidae had no descendants.^[2]

Description

Like all Agnostida, the Calodiscidae are diminutive and the headshield (or cephalon) and tailshield (or pygidium) are of approximately the same size (or isopygous) and outline. The central raised area of the cephalon (or glabella) has parallel sides or tapers forward, the front being rounded and expanded, and may be divided by transverse glabellar furrows. The occipital ring is defined by a complete transverse furrow and is neither not spinose nor expanded. When present, the eye lobes are short and prominent. The thorax is only known in Chelediscus (two segments) and Sinodiscus (three segments). The pygidium has a wide, tapering axis of less than six segments.^[1]

References

1. Whittington, H. B. (1997). Volume 1 – Trilobita – Introduction, Order Agnostida, Order Redlichiida. Treatise on Invertebrate Paleontology. Part O, Revised. pp. 390–392.
2. Jell, P.A. (1975). "Australian Middle Cambrian Eodiscoids with a review of the superfamily". Palaeontographica Abteilung A 150: 1–97. cited in Whittington, H. B. (1997). Volume 1 – Trilobita – Introduction, Order Agnostida, Order Redlichiida. Treatise on Invertebrate Paleontology. Part O, Revised. pp. 348–349.