Canterburyellidae

Canterburyellidae is a family of trilobites, a group of extinct marine arthropods. This family belongs to the order Phacopida, known for their well-developed eyes and ornamented exoskeletons. Canterburyellidae is specifically part of the suborder Phacopina and superfamily Acastoidea. The family is named after the region of Canterbury, New Zealand, where the first specimens were discovered.

Description

Members of the Canterburyellidae family are characterized by their medium to large size, with a semi-circular cephalon (head) and a well-defined glabella (the central raised area of the cephalon). The thorax typically has 8-10 segments, and the pygidium (tail) is semi-circular and of similar size to the cephalon. The eyes of Canterburyellidae trilobites are well developed, a common trait in the Phacopida order.

Distribution and Fossils

Fossils of Canterburyellidae have been found primarily in Devonian strata, indicating that this family lived approximately 419.2 million to 358.9 million years ago. The majority of these fossils have been discovered in New Zealand, particularly in the Canterbury region, but specimens have also been found in Australia and Antarctica.

Genera

The Canterburyellidae family includes several genera, such as:

• Canterburyella
• Changaspis
• Eoleonaspis
• Leonaspis
• Paraleonaspis

Each of these genera has unique characteristics that distinguish them from one another, but all share the common traits of the Canterburyellidae family.

See Also

• List of trilobite families
• Paleontology
• Devonian