''Fallotaspidella'' is an extinct

genus Genus ( plural genera ) is a taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms as well as viruses. In the hierarchy of biological classification, genus comes above species and below family. In binomial n ...

of redlichiid

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 ...

s. It lived during the late

Atdabanian Cambrian Stage 3 is the still unnamed third stage of the Cambrian. It succeeds Cambrian Stage 2 and precedes Cambrian Stage 4, although neither its base nor top have been formally defined. The plan is for its lower boundary to correspond approxi ...

stage, which lasted from 530 to 524 million years ago during the early part of the

Cambrian Period The Cambrian Period ( ; sometimes symbolized Ꞓ) was the first geological period of the Paleozoic Era, and of the Phanerozoic Eon. The Cambrian lasted 53.4 million years from the end of the preceding Ediacaran Period 538.8 million years ago (m ...

Distribution

The type species, ''F. musatovi'' was collected from the Lower Cambrian of Siberia (later Atdabanian, southern Siberian fold belt, Altay-Sayan region, Lena Stage of the Batenevskiy Ridge).Whittington, H. B. et al. Part O, Treatise on Invertebrate Paleontology. Revised, Volume 1 – Trilobita – Introduction, Order Agnostida, Order Redlichiida. 1997

Taxonomy

''Fallotaspidella'' is a derived member of the superfamily "Fallotaspidoidea". ''Fallotaspidella'' is closest to the trilobites with dorsal cephalic sutures, such as ''Bigotina'' and '' Lemdadella'', making it pivotal in the understanding of the development of these sutures. Of all the other Fallotaspoids ''Archaeaspis'' is most related to ''Fallotaspidella''.

References

Cambrian trilobites Fallotaspidoidea Fossils of Russia {{redlichiida-stub