Odontopleurida

Gaotania ovata

Order Odontopleurida / Family Odontopleuridae

Rhuddanian to Aeronian (Llandovery, Silurian)Guizhou, Henan

Gaotania ovata — photo 1 — Photo 1 · Cranidium is the holotype NIGP21629 (Guizhou; Wei Xin 2020) (Henan; Zhang Wentang et al. 1986) Complete dorsal exoskeleton, part and counterpart (Guizhou; Hsin)

Gaotania ovata — photo 2 — Photo 2 · Cranidium is the holotype NIGP21629 (Guizhou; Wei Xin 2020) (Henan; Zhang Wentang et al. 1986) Complete dorsal exoskeleton, part and counterpart (Guizhou; Hsin)

Gaotania ovata — photo 3 — Photo 3 · Cranidium is the holotype NIGP21629 (Guizhou; Wei Xin 2020) (Henan; Zhang Wentang et al. 1986) Complete dorsal exoskeleton, part and counterpart (Guizhou; Hsin)

Classification

Order Odontopleurida / Family Odontopleuridae

Genus

Gaotania Chang, 1974

Genus author

Zhang Wentang

Genus etymology

Gaotan, Gaotan, Meitan, Guizhou

Species

G. ovata Chang, 1974

Species author

Zhang Wentang

Species etymology

ovata, Latin, ovate

Age

Rhuddanian to Aeronian (Llandovery, Silurian)

Distribution

Guizhou, Henan

Diagnosis

Cephalon transversely wide; glabella semi-elliptical with two pairs of glabellar furrows, median lobe ovate with 2 pairs of lateral lobes, L1 isolated and long-ovate, L2 very small; dorsal furrows wide and deep; occipital furrow wide and deep; occipital ring convex, without occipital node or spine; fixigenae narrow; eye ridges narrow and long; eyes small, highly convex; librigenae with rather wide posterolateral borders, outer margin with many regularly arranged small spines. Thorax of 10 segments; axis slightly narrower than pleurae; pleurae horizontal, pleural spines rather blunt, those of the last two segments longer. Pygidial axis of 2 rings; 4 pairs of pygidial spines: a pair of large stout long spines, with a small branch spine on their inner side, a pair of short stout small spines between the two large spines, and another pair of short stout small spines outside the large spines; occasionally an extremely small spine-like process at the anterior lateral corners of the pygidium.

Remarks

This species is the type species of the genus Gaotania.