Odontopleurida is an

order Order, ORDER or Orders may refer to: * Categorization, the process in which ideas and objects are recognized, differentiated, and understood * Heterarchy, a system of organization wherein the elements have the potential to be ranked a number of d ...

of very spinose

trilobite Trilobites (; meaning "three lobes") are extinct marine arthropods that form the class Trilobita. Trilobites form one of the earliest-known groups of arthropods. The first appearance of trilobites in the fossil record defines the base of the At ...

s closely related to the trilobites of the order

Lichida Lichida is an order of typically spiny trilobite that lived from the Furongian to the Devonian period. These trilobites usually have 8–13 thoracic The thorax or chest is a part of the anatomy of humans, mammals, and other tetrapod animals l ...

. Some experts group the Odontopleurid families, Odontopleuridae and Damesellidae, within Lichida. Odontopleurids tend to have convex, bar-shaped cephalons, and lobed, knob-shaped glabella that extend to, or almost to the anterior margin. Many, if not almost all odontopleurids have long spines that are derived either from the margins of the exoskeleton, or from granular or tubercular ornamentation, or both. Many odontopleurids are so spinose so as to be described as having "spines on (their) spines." Odontopleurids have 8 to 13 thoracic segments, with Odontopleuridae odontopleurids having no more than 10, and Damesellidae odontopleurids having no more than 13. The pygidium tends to be very small, and invariably has long spines emanating from it in all known genera. Genera of Damesellidae are restricted to Middle to Upper Cambrian marine strata, and may represent a transition between Cambrian-aged lichids, and odontopleurids of Odontopleuridae. The odontopleurids of Odontopleuridae first appear in the Upper Cambrian, and go extinct before the end of the Frasnian stage of the late

Devonian The Devonian ( ) is a geologic period and system of the Paleozoic era, spanning 60.3 million years from the end of the Silurian, million years ago (Mya), to the beginning of the Carboniferous, Mya. It is named after Devon, England, whe ...

. ;

Odontopleuridae Odontopleuridae is a family of odontopleurid trilobites found in marine strata throughout the world. Odontopleurids of Odontopleuridae first appear in Late Cambrian-aged marine strata, and the last genera perish by the end of the Frasnian stag ...

*'' Acanthalomina'' *?'' Acidaspidella'' *?'' Acidaspides'' *'' Acidaspis'' *'' Anacaenaspis'' *'' Apianurus'' *'' Archaeopleura'' *'' Boedaspis'' *'' Borkopleura'' *'' Brutonaspis'' *'' Calipernurus'' *'' Ceratocara'' *'' Ceratocephala'' *'' Ceratocephalinus'' *'' Ceratonurus'' *'' Chlustinia'' *'' Dalaspis'' *'' Diacanthaspis'' *'' Dicranurus'' *'' Dudleyaspis'' *'' Edgecombeaspis'' *'' Eoleonaspis'' *'' Exallaspis'' *'' Gaotania'' *'' Globulaspis'' *'' Hispaniaspis'' *'' Isoprusia'' *'' Ivanopleura'' *'' Kettneraspis'' *'' Koneprusia'' *'' Laethoprusia'' *'' Leonaspis'' *''

Meadowtownella ''Meadowtownella'' is a rare genus of odontopleurid trilobite found in Ordovician rocks. It is similar to '' Acidaspis cincinnatiensis'' but without the occipital spine. Some species have been found in Gilwern Hill in Wales, but tend only to b ...

'' *'' Miraspis'' *'' Ningnanaspis'' *''

Odontopleura ''Odontopleura'' is a genus of spinose odontopleurid trilobite in the family Odontopleuridae, and is the type genus of that family and of Odontopleurida. The various species are found in Upper Ordovician to Middle Devonian marine strata throug ...

'' *'' Orphanaspis'' *'' Periallaspis'' *'' Primaspis'' *'' Proceratocephala'' *'' Radiaspis'' *'' Rinconaspis'' *''

Selenopeltis ''Selenopeltis'' () is an extinct genus of odontopleurid trilobites in the family Odontopleuridae. Species in the genus ''Selenopeltis'' can reach a length of and a width of . These trilobites show long pleural spines and were a low-level ...

'' *'' Selenopeltoides'' *'' Sinespinaspis'' *'' Stelckaspis'' *'' Taemasaspis'' *''

Uriarra Uriarra Village is a community in the District of Coree, Australian Capital Territory established in 1928 at the foothills of the Australian Alps. A nearby area to the north of the border in New South Wales is also called Uriarra. The settlem ...

'' *'' Whittingtonia'' ;

Damesellidae Damesellidae is a family of odontopleurid trilobites found in late Middle to Late Cambrian marine strata, primarily of China. Damesellids are closely related to the odontopleurids of Odontopleuridae, but are not nearly as spinose, nor possess s ...

*?'' Adelogonus'' *'' Bergeronites'' *'' Blackwelderia'' *'' Blackwelderioides'' *'' Chiawangella'' *'' Cyrtoprora'' *'' Damesella'' *'' Damesops'' *'' Dipentaspis'' *'' Dipyrgotes'' *'' Neodrepanura'' *'' Duamsannella'' *'' Fengduia'' *'' Guancenshania'' *?'' Hercantyx'' *''

Histiomona ''Histiomona'' is an extinct genus of damesellid odontopleurid trilobite. It lived from 501 to 490 million years ago during the Dresbachian faunal stage of the late Cambrian Period The Cambrian Period ( ; sometimes symbolized Ꞓ) was the ...

'' *'' Jiawangaspis'' *'' Karslanus'' *'' Liuheaspis'' *'' Metashantungia'' *'' Neodamesella'' *'' Palaeadotes,'' *'' Paradamesella'' *'' Parashantungia'' *'' Pingquania'' *'' Pionaspis'' *'' Protaitzehoia'' *'' Pseudoblackwelderia'' *'' Shantungia'' *'' Stephanocare'' *'' Taihangshania'' *'' Taitzehoia'' *'' Teinistion'' *'' Xintaia'' *'' Yanshanopyge''

References

Trilobite orders Miaolingian first appearances Frasnian extinctions {{Odontopleurida-stub