The ontogeny ofTaihungshania miqueli(Bergeron, 1893) from the Arenig of the Montagne Noire, southern France

Abstract

AbstractThe very large trilobiteTaihungshania miquelioccurs abundantly in siliceous nodules in the Ordovician of the Montagne Noire, southern France, but in these, larval individuals are not preserved. At a new locality at Peret, near Cabrières, protaspid and early meraspid growth stages occur in great abundance, together with a few complete specimens belonging to meraspid degrees 1, 2, 3, 5 and 7, and a single young holaspis. Although this material is largely flattened, and the originally globular protaspides crushed, it is still possible to establish the development of several axial rings before the transitory pygidium becomes liberated. In the degree 0 meraspis, the cephalon and transitory pygidium are about the same size, and the presence of a partially enrolled degree 3 meraspis indicates that protective coiling was possible by this early stage. Palpebral lobes are incipient in degree 2 meraspides, and fully formed by degree 7, otherwise the morphology of the cephalon becomes quite adult-like by degree 4. The pygidial spines begin to appear in degree 5, at which stage there are about 10 axial rings; there are about 13 in a degree 7 meraspis, and in the adult, where the posterior contour is semi-elliptical, there are some 22. The smallest hypostomes present belong to a degree 6 meraspis, and these are morphologically similar to those of adults. Observations on the later growth stages were made on material from another locality (Caramaou), as well as that from Peret. In the eye the upper lenses are large and slightly separated, but those towards the base are much diminished in size; this is a function of an unusual growth geometry.At Peret, all stages of development, at least as far as young adults, are represented, albeit often in a fragmentary state. As with other asaphines, the protaspides are assumed to be planktic, andT. miquelipresumably left the plankton and became benthic between the protaspid and meraspid periods.