Ptychopariida

Elrathia kingii

Order Ptychopariida / Suborder Ptychopariina / Superfamily Ptychoparioidea / Family Alokistocaridae

Drumian (Miaolingian, Cambrian)USA

Elrathia kingii — photo 1 — Photo 1 · Type USNM 8577 Restor ation (USA; SNMNH) (Samuel M. Gon III 2009) First ptychoparioid specimen preserving traces of thoracic appendages (USA; Briggs et al., 2008) Injury-healed specimen (Bicknell et al., 2022) Specimen used as a necklace pendant by ancient Native Americans (Robison et al., 2015) Complete dorsal exoskeleton Complete dorsal exoskeleton (USA; Mr. (USA; Yufeng) Heiyanquan)

Elrathia kingii — photo 2 — Photo 2 · Type USNM 8577 Restor ation (USA; SNMNH) (Samuel M. Gon III 2009) First ptychoparioid specimen preserving traces of thoracic appendages (USA; Briggs et al., 2008) Injury-healed specimen (Bicknell et al., 2022) Specimen used as a necklace pendant by ancient Native Americans (Robison et al., 2015) Complete dorsal exoskeleton Complete dorsal exoskeleton (USA; Mr. (USA; Yufeng) Heiyanquan)

Elrathia kingii — photo 3 — Photo 3 · Type USNM 8577 Restor ation (USA; SNMNH) (Samuel M. Gon III 2009) First ptychoparioid specimen preserving traces of thoracic appendages (USA; Briggs et al., 2008) Injury-healed specimen (Bicknell et al., 2022) Specimen used as a necklace pendant by ancient Native Americans (Robison et al., 2015) Complete dorsal exoskeleton Complete dorsal exoskeleton (USA; Mr. (USA; Yufeng) Heiyanquan)

Elrathia kingii — photo 4 — Photo 4 · Type USNM 8577 Restor ation (USA; SNMNH) (Samuel M. Gon III 2009) First ptychoparioid specimen preserving traces of thoracic appendages (USA; Briggs et al., 2008) Injury-healed specimen (Bicknell et al., 2022) Specimen used as a necklace pendant by ancient Native Americans (Robison et al., 2015) Complete dorsal exoskeleton Complete dorsal exoskeleton (USA; Mr. (USA; Yufeng) Heiyanquan)

Elrathia kingii — photo 5 — Photo 5 · Type USNM 8577 Restor ation (USA; SNMNH) (Samuel M. Gon III 2009) First ptychoparioid specimen preserving traces of thoracic appendages (USA; Briggs et al., 2008) Injury-healed specimen (Bicknell et al., 2022) Specimen used as a necklace pendant by ancient Native Americans (Robison et al., 2015) Complete dorsal exoskeleton Complete dorsal exoskeleton (USA; Mr. (USA; Yufeng) Heiyanquan)

Elrathia kingii — photo 6 — Photo 6 · Type USNM 8577 Restor ation (USA; SNMNH) (Samuel M. Gon III 2009) First ptychoparioid specimen preserving traces of thoracic appendages (USA; Briggs et al., 2008) Injury-healed specimen (Bicknell et al., 2022) Specimen used as a necklace pendant by ancient Native Americans (Robison et al., 2015) Complete dorsal exoskeleton Complete dorsal exoskeleton (USA; Mr. (USA; Yufeng) Heiyanquan)

Elrathia kingii — photo 7 — Photo 7 · Type USNM 8577 Restor ation (USA; SNMNH) (Samuel M. Gon III 2009) First ptychoparioid specimen preserving traces of thoracic appendages (USA; Briggs et al., 2008) Injury-healed specimen (Bicknell et al., 2022) Specimen used as a necklace pendant by ancient Native Americans (Robison et al., 2015) Complete dorsal exoskeleton Complete dorsal exoskeleton (USA; Mr. (USA; Yufeng) Heiyanquan)

Elrathia kingii — photo 8 — Photo 8 · Type USNM 8577 Restor ation (USA; SNMNH) (Samuel M. Gon III 2009) First ptychoparioid specimen preserving traces of thoracic appendages (USA; Briggs et al., 2008) Injury-healed specimen (Bicknell et al., 2022) Specimen used as a necklace pendant by ancient Native Americans (Robison et al., 2015) Complete dorsal exoskeleton Complete dorsal exoskeleton (USA; Mr. (USA; Yufeng) Heiyanquan)

Classification

Order Ptychopariida / Suborder Ptychopariina / Superfamily Ptychoparioidea / Family Alokistocaridae

Genus

Elrathia Walcott, 1924

Genus author

Walcott C. D.

Genus etymology

Elrath, a locality in Cherokee County, Alabama

Species

E. kingii (Meek, 1870)

Species author

Meek F. B.

Species etymology

King, a surname, in honour of Clarence King, geologist and first director of the US Geological Survey

Age

Drumian (Miaolingian, Cambrian)

Distribution

USA

Synonyms

Conocoryphe (Conocephalites) kingii; Conocoryphe (Ptychoparia) kingii; Ptychoparia kingii

Diagnosis

Cephalon semicircular; glabella truncate-conical with two pairs of faint glabellar furrows; preglabellar field long; palpebral lobes medium-sized; eye ridges long; librigenae wide with short genal spines. Thorax of 13 segments; axis narrow; pleurae wide with wide pleural furrows and short pleural spines. Pygidium medium-sized, subelliptical; axis with 4 rings plus a terminal piece; border wide, slightly concave medially.

Remarks

This species is the type species of the genus Elrathia and the first ptychoparioid in which thoracic appendages were discovered. It is the most commercially marketed trilobite in the USA.