Selenopeltis

Selenopeltis Temporal range: Ordovician PreꞒ Ꞓ O S D C P T J K Pg N
Solenopeltis buchi buchi from Czech Republic at the National Museum (Prague)
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Arthropoda
Class:	Trilobita
Order:	Odontopleurida
Family:	Odontopleuridae
Genus:	Selenopeltis Hawle and Corda 1847

Selenopeltis (/sɛliːnoʊpɛltɪs/) is an extinct genus of odontopleurid trilobites in the family Odontopleuridae.

Species in the genus Selenopeltis can reach a length of 115–160 millimetres (4.5–6.3 in) and a width of 115–130 millimetres (4.5–5.1 in). These trilobites show long pleural spines and were a low-level epifaunal detritivore. They lived in the Ordovician period, from the Lower Arenig stage age until the Ashgillian age (478.6-443.7 million years ago).

Distribution

During the Ordovician they inhabited Czech Republic, France, Morocco, Portugal, Spain and the United Kingdom. During the Arenig they lived in France and the UK.

Gallery

• 
  Selenopeltis buchi vultuosa from Czech Republic at the National Museum (Prague)
• 
  Selenopeltis buchi trilobites (and a smaller Dalmanatina) from Mount Boutschrafin, Morocco.
• 
  Selenopeltis buchi at Staatliches Museum für Naturkunde Karlsruhe, Germany

Sources

• S. buchii at Fossilmuseum
• Selenopeltis sp. at Origins.swau.edu

External links

• Selenopeltis in the Paleobiology Database
• Sepkoski, Jack Sepkoski's Online Genus Database – Trilobita