The Rare Trilobites Exallaspis (Odontopleuridae) and Kosovoproetus? (Tropidocoryphidae) in the Homerian (Silurian) Of The Prague Basin, Bohemian Massif

Abstract

Abstract The deep-water Aulacopleura koninckii Assemblage in the lower Homerian (T. testis Sub-Biozone) “Aulacopleura shales“ strata at the classical ‘Barrande’s pits’ locality on the Černidla hillside at Loděnice in the Prague Basin is supplemented by the addition of two new trilobite taxa, viz. Exallaspis? perunicana sp. n. and Kosovoproetus? aff. praecursor (Přibyl & Vaněk 1987). The palaeogeographic distribution of Exallapis Ramsköld & Chatterton, 1991 is extended by the occurrence of Exallaspis? perunicana sp. n. and the younger Exallaspis sp. in the upper Homerian (the P. parvus – G. nassa Biozone) of the Prague Basin, reflecting the faunal migration between the southern shelf of the Baltica palaeocontinent and the Perunica microcontinent accross the Rheic Ocean. The small dimensions of the K.? aff. praecursor exoskeletons compared to those of K.? praecursor in the bordering shallow-water Liolalax–Sphaerexochus– Cheirurus Assemblage represent another example of adaptive nanism in trilobites of the Aulacopleura-Raphiophorus Biofacies.