Phacopida

Fenestraspis amauta

Order Phacopida / Suborder Phacopina / Superfamily Dalmanitoidea / Family Dalmanitidae

Pragian to Emsian (Early Devonian)Bolivia

Fenestraspis amauta — photo 1 — Photo 1 · Holotype NMP S2383 (Bolivia; Holloway et al., 2009) Pygidium specimen with distinct fenestrae on the pleural ribs (Bolivia; Holloway et al., 2009) Cephalon specimen (Bolivia; Holloway et al., 2009) Restoration (Holloway et al., 2009)

Fenestraspis amauta — photo 2 — Photo 2 · Holotype NMP S2383 (Bolivia; Holloway et al., 2009) Pygidium specimen with distinct fenestrae on the pleural ribs (Bolivia; Holloway et al., 2009) Cephalon specimen (Bolivia; Holloway et al., 2009) Restoration (Holloway et al., 2009)

Fenestraspis amauta — photo 3 — Photo 3 · Holotype NMP S2383 (Bolivia; Holloway et al., 2009) Pygidium specimen with distinct fenestrae on the pleural ribs (Bolivia; Holloway et al., 2009) Cephalon specimen (Bolivia; Holloway et al., 2009) Restoration (Holloway et al., 2009)

Fenestraspis amauta — photo 4 — Photo 4 · Holotype NMP S2383 (Bolivia; Holloway et al., 2009) Pygidium specimen with distinct fenestrae on the pleural ribs (Bolivia; Holloway et al., 2009) Cephalon specimen (Bolivia; Holloway et al., 2009) Restoration (Holloway et al., 2009)

Classification

Order Phacopida / Suborder Phacopina / Superfamily Dalmanitoidea / Family Dalmanitidae

Genus

Fenestraspis Braniša & Vaněk, 1973

Genus author

Braniša L. & Vaněk J.

Genus etymology

fenestr-, Latin, window; -aspis, Greek, shield

Species

F. amauta Braniša & Vaněk, 1973

Species author

Braniša L. & Vaněk J.

Species etymology

In Quechua, the language of the indigenous peoples of the Andes, "amauta" literally means "sage" or "teacher".

Age

Pragian to Emsian (Early Devonian)

Distribution

Bolivia

Diagnosis

Cephalon overall subtriangular with a wavy anterior margin; glabella convex, expanding evenly forward, three pairs of glabellar furrows, surface densely covered with nodes of varying size, median lobe with pairs of short spinules; occipital ring with a slightly larger spine and a pair of small lateral spinules; palpebral lobes elevated; eyes composed of 49-52 vertical rows of lenses, 19-21 lenses per row; fixigenae with stout genal spines, with three short spines at the base and the posterior border. Thorax preserved only as fragments, axial rings similar in form to the occipital ring but with possibly 4 axial spines; pleurae with proximal notches on the anterior and posterior margins, similar to the notches on the posterior cephalic margin. Pygidium subtriangular; axis with about 22 rings, rings 1, 5, 9 and 13 with pairs of axial spines; pleural ribs with asymmetric fenestrae and vertical spinules, most fenestrae discontinuous; pygidial mar- gin with a median spine and vertical spinules.

Remarks

This species is the type species of the genus Fenestraspis, and its inter-articular window-like perforations are extremely rare among trilobites. The original literature was not consulted, so the translation of the genus and species names may be inaccurate.