Odontopleurida

Apianurus kuckersianus

Order Odontopleurida / Family Odontopleuridae

Sandbian (Late Ordovician)Estonia, Russia
Apianurus kuckersianus — photo 1
Photo 1 · Lectotype (Estonia; Bruton 1968) Literature specimen (Estonia; Bruton 1968) Literature specimen (Estonia; Secher 2024) Complete dorsal exoskeleton (Russia; Baiya)
Apianurus kuckersianus — photo 2
Photo 2 · Lectotype (Estonia; Bruton 1968) Literature specimen (Estonia; Bruton 1968) Literature specimen (Estonia; Secher 2024) Complete dorsal exoskeleton (Russia; Baiya)
Apianurus kuckersianus — photo 3
Photo 3 · Lectotype (Estonia; Bruton 1968) Literature specimen (Estonia; Bruton 1968) Literature specimen (Estonia; Secher 2024) Complete dorsal exoskeleton (Russia; Baiya)
Apianurus kuckersianus — photo 4
Photo 4 · Lectotype (Estonia; Bruton 1968) Literature specimen (Estonia; Bruton 1968) Literature specimen (Estonia; Secher 2024) Complete dorsal exoskeleton (Russia; Baiya)
Classification
Order Odontopleurida / Family Odontopleuridae
Genus
Apianurus Whittington, 1956
Genus author
Whittington H. B.
Genus etymology
api-, apicalis? pointed, apical, terminal
Species
A. kuckersianus (Schmidt, 1885)
Species author
Schmidt F.
Species etymology
Kuckers, i.e. Kukruse, a locality in Estonia
Age
Sandbian (Late Ordovician)
Distribution
Estonia, Russia
Synonyms
Acidaspis kuckersiana; Ceratocephulu kztkersiana; Apianurus kuckersiana
Diagnosis
Dorsal shield covered with nodes, genal, pleural and pygidial spines all with nodes or small spinules. Glabellar median lobe subrectangular, forming, together with the lateral lobes, a shape resembling the Chinese character "zhong"; two pairs of pit-like glabellar furrows; occipital ring wide, a pair of strong long spines extending backward-upward; eyes small, convex; eye ridges long; librigenal genal spines long. Thorax of 10 segments; each pleura extended into a long pleural spine at its end. Pygidium semi-elliptical; pleural region extended into a pair of vertical long spines; 6 pairs of marginal spines.