Ceraurus pleurexanthemus

scale in cms

CLASS - Trilobita
ORDER - Phacopida
FAMILY - Cheiruridae
GENUS/SPECIES - Ceraurus pleurexanthemus

ROCK UNIT - Rust Member, Denley Limestone, Trenton Group

AGE - Middle Ordovician (460 million years old)

LOCALITY - Town of Russia, New York, USA

Another distinctive trilobite from Ordovician rocks in New York, Ceraurus had two pair of very large spines sticking out from its body; one pair on the sides of the head and one pair on the tail. These spines are different than those of the very first trilobites, but it is difficult to be sure what purpose (if any) they served. Perhaps they helped with species identification, defense or weight distribution.

PRI 41459