Arctinurus
Encyclopedia
Arctinurus boltoni was a lichid
trilobite
of the mid-Silurian
. This trilobite reached about eight inches in length, though the normal adult carapace
was about four inches. It lived in moderately deep-water in semi-tropical regions. Arctinurus fossils have been found in Europe and North America. Arctinurus was first reported during the construction of the Erie Canal
through soft Silurian shales and mudstones in upstate New York. Before the late 1990s, complete Arctinurus fossils were very rare. The vast majority of complete specimens were commercially mined near Middleport
New York
, USA, in a shallow quarry in the Rochester Formation, and the trilobite is now relatively common in museum, university and private collections. Arctinurus tended to have epibiont
s attached to the carapace.
Lichida
Lichida is an order of typically spiny trilobite that lived from the Ordovician to the Devonian period.-Morphology:These trilobites usually have 8-13 thoracic segments. Their exoskeletons often have a grainy texture or have tubercles...
trilobite
Trilobite
Trilobites are a well-known fossil group of extinct marine arthropods that form the class Trilobita. The first appearance of trilobites in the fossil record defines the base of the Atdabanian stage of the Early Cambrian period , and they flourished throughout the lower Paleozoic era before...
of the mid-Silurian
Silurian
The Silurian is a geologic period and system that extends from the end of the Ordovician Period, about 443.7 ± 1.5 Mya , to the beginning of the Devonian Period, about 416.0 ± 2.8 Mya . As with other geologic periods, the rock beds that define the period's start and end are well identified, but the...
. This trilobite reached about eight inches in length, though the normal adult carapace
Carapace
A carapace is a dorsal section of the exoskeleton or shell in a number of animal groups, including arthropods such as crustaceans and arachnids, as well as vertebrates such as turtles and tortoises. In turtles and tortoises, the underside is called the plastron.-Crustaceans:In crustaceans, the...
was about four inches. It lived in moderately deep-water in semi-tropical regions. Arctinurus fossils have been found in Europe and North America. Arctinurus was first reported during the construction of the Erie Canal
Erie Canal
The Erie Canal is a waterway in New York that runs about from Albany, New York, on the Hudson River to Buffalo, New York, at Lake Erie, completing a navigable water route from the Atlantic Ocean to the Great Lakes. The canal contains 36 locks and encompasses a total elevation differential of...
through soft Silurian shales and mudstones in upstate New York. Before the late 1990s, complete Arctinurus fossils were very rare. The vast majority of complete specimens were commercially mined near Middleport
Middleport
The place name Middleport may refer to:* Middleport, Staffordshire in England* Middleport, New York* Middleport, Ohio* Middleport, Ontario* Middleport, Pennsylvania...
New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
, USA, in a shallow quarry in the Rochester Formation, and the trilobite is now relatively common in museum, university and private collections. Arctinurus tended to have epibiont
Epibiont
An epibiont is an organism that lives on the surface of another living organism. An epibiont is usually considered harmless to the host; in this sense, the relationship between the two organisms can be considered neutralistic or commensalistic. Typical epibionts are barnacles, remoras, and algae,...
s attached to the carapace.