Meadowtownella

Meadowtownella
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Clade: Artiopoda
Class: Trilobita
Order: Odontopleurida
Family: Odontopleuridae
Genus: Meadowtownella
Pribyl & Vanek, 1965
Diversity
19 species

Meadowtownella is a genus of odontopleurid trilobite that lived during the Ordovician period in a wide range being found in the United States, Canada, Sweden, Norway, Scotland, Wales, England, Latvia and Portugal.[1][2]

Taxonomy

This genus was described in 1965 by Pribyl and Vanek. The genus currently contains around 20 described species. They are listed below:

Species Authority Occurrence Age Refs
M. ascitus Whittington, 1956 United States Caradoc (Sandbian) [2]
M. bestorpensis Bruton (1966) Sweden Caradoc—Ashgill (Katian) [2]
M. bucculenta McNamara (1979) England, Norway Ashgill (Katian) [2]
M. caractaci Salter (1853), Dean (1963) England, Ireland Late Caradoc (Katian) [2]
M. crosotus Locke (1843) United States Late Caradoc (Katian) [2]
M. evoluta Törnquist (1884), Bruton (1966) Sweden, Norway, Wales, England, Latvia Ashgill (Katian) [2]
M. girvanesis Reed (1914) Scotland Ashgill (Katian–Hirnatian) [2]
M. harnagensis Bancroft (1949), Dean (1963) England Early Caradoc (Sandbian) [2]
M. horani Billings (1863) ? Early Caradoc (Sandbian) [2]
M. llandowrensis Price (1980) Southern Wales Ashgill (Katian) [2]
M. mendica Siveter (1989) Ireland Silurian (Wenlock) [2]
M. multispinosa Bruton (1965), Hansen (2009) Norway Late Llanvirn (Darriwilian) [2]
M. rorringtonensis Whittard (1961) Shelve Inlier, Wales Caradoc (Katian) [2]
M. sacerdos Lespérance (1998) Quebec Late Ashgill (Katian–Hirnantian) [2]
M. semievoluta Reed (1910), Dean (1962) England Caradoc (Sandbian) [2]
M. serrata Conway & Botting, 2011 Mid-Wales Middle Ordovician (Llanvirn) [2]
M. simulatrix Whittard (1961) Shelve Inlier, Wales Late Llanvirn (Darriwilian) [2]
M. trentonensis Hall (1847), Brett et al. (1999) United States Late Caradoc (Katian) [2]
M. whitei Whittard (1961) Shelve Inlier, Wales Late Llanvirn (Darriwilian) [2]
M. yunnanensis Wei, X., Zhan, R., Yan, G., Zhang, X., & Wang, G., 2025 South China End-Ordovician [3]

Distribution

Some species have been found in Gilwern Hill in Wales, but tend only to be found in the lower portions of the Kope Formation in Ohio. They can also found in Trenton Group rock units in New York State, Ontario and Quebec. South China during the during the recovery from the Late Ordovician mass extinction was host to many endemic species and genera of trilobites such as Meadowtownella yunnanensis.[4][5]

Description

It is similar to Acidaspis cincinnatiensis but without the occipital spine.[6]

References

  1. ^ "Meadowtownella". Paleobiology Database. Retrieved 7 September 2009.
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t Conway, Tim & Botting, Joseph. (2012). Description and ecology of a new Middle Ordovician (Llanvirn) odontopleurid trilobite from the Builth Inlier of Mid-Wales, with a review of the genus Meadowtownella. Geological Magazine. 149. 10.1017/S0016756811000707.
  3. ^ Wei, X., Zhan, R., Yan, G., Zhang, X., & Wang, G. (2025). The earliest known recovery trilobite faunas following the Late Ordovician mass extinction (LOME) in South China and their ecological distribution. Journal of Systematic Palaeontology, 23(1). https://doi.org/10.1080/14772019.2025.2461362
  4. ^ "Trenton Group, NGMDB product page for 98670 On USGS".
  5. ^ www.tandfonline.com. doi:10.1080/14772019.2025.2461362 https://www.tandfonline.com/action/cookieAbsent. Retrieved 2026-05-12. {{cite web}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
  6. ^ "Acidaspis On UGA Stratigraphy Lab".