Skip to main content

Lund University Publications

LUND UNIVERSITY LIBRARIES

A Tiny Eye Indicating A Planktonic Trilobite

Schoenemann, Brigitte ; Clarkson, Euan N. K. ; Ahlberg, Per LU and Alvarez, Maria E. D. (2010) In Palaeontology 53(4). p.695-701
Abstract
Cambrian trilobites mainly lived on the sea floor, and up till now few, if any, unequivocally planktonic trilobites have been reported from earlier than the Ordovician. The late Cambrian (Furongian) to late Ordovician olenids are a distinctive group of benthic (sea-floor dwelling) or nekto-benthic trilobites. Here we show, however, that one recently described, miniaturized and very spiny olenid species, Ctenopyge ceciliae must have been planktonic ( passively drifting or feebly swimming in the upper waters of the sea). This interpretation is based not only upon body form but also on the analysis of its visual system and may be one of the earliest records of the planktonic realm being invaded by trilobites.
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
author
; ; and
organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
keywords
vision, ecological niche, trilobite, Cambrian, plankton, arthropod
in
Palaeontology
volume
53
issue
4
pages
695 - 701
publisher
Wiley-Blackwell
external identifiers
  • wos:000280127500001
  • scopus:77955136794
ISSN
1475-4983
DOI
10.1111/j.1475-4983.2010.00966.x
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
3545a076-5ca8-47c0-87dd-bba231626f5d (old id 1654835)
date added to LUP
2016-04-01 10:22:42
date last changed
2022-04-27 21:29:31
@article{3545a076-5ca8-47c0-87dd-bba231626f5d,
  abstract     = {{Cambrian trilobites mainly lived on the sea floor, and up till now few, if any, unequivocally planktonic trilobites have been reported from earlier than the Ordovician. The late Cambrian (Furongian) to late Ordovician olenids are a distinctive group of benthic (sea-floor dwelling) or nekto-benthic trilobites. Here we show, however, that one recently described, miniaturized and very spiny olenid species, Ctenopyge ceciliae must have been planktonic ( passively drifting or feebly swimming in the upper waters of the sea). This interpretation is based not only upon body form but also on the analysis of its visual system and may be one of the earliest records of the planktonic realm being invaded by trilobites.}},
  author       = {{Schoenemann, Brigitte and Clarkson, Euan N. K. and Ahlberg, Per and Alvarez, Maria E. D.}},
  issn         = {{1475-4983}},
  keywords     = {{vision; ecological niche; trilobite; Cambrian; plankton; arthropod}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  number       = {{4}},
  pages        = {{695--701}},
  publisher    = {{Wiley-Blackwell}},
  series       = {{Palaeontology}},
  title        = {{A Tiny Eye Indicating A Planktonic Trilobite}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1475-4983.2010.00966.x}},
  doi          = {{10.1111/j.1475-4983.2010.00966.x}},
  volume       = {{53}},
  year         = {{2010}},
}