Phillipsia squamata, Engel & Morris 1983

Vanderlaan, Tegan A. & Ebach, Malte C., 2015, A review of the Carboniferous and Permian trilobites of Australia, Zootaxa 3926 (1), pp. 1-56 : 40

Palaeophillipsia? squamata (Engel & Morris 1983)

Figs. 4.10 & 4.11

1983 Phillipsia squamata Engel & Morris ; p. 228–231, figs. 1A, 3, 4A–C.

Holotype. AMF80267 (external mould of cranidium).

Paratype material. From NU L484: AMF80258 (external pygidium), AMF80259 (partial external pygidium), AMF80260 (internal pygidium), AMF80261 (internal pygidium), AMF80262 (external pygidium), AMF80263 (external pygidium), AMF80264 (external pygidium), AMF80265 (external pygidium), AMF80266 (internal pygidium), AMF80268 (internal cranidium), AMF80269 (external pygidium), AMF80272 (internal pygidium). From NU L890: AMF80270 (external cranidium), AMF80271 (external librigena), AMF80273 (external pygidium), AMF80274 (external pygidium), AMF80275 (internal pygidium), AMF80276 (internal cranidium).

Locality. Type—NU L890. Other—NU L484.

Diagnosis. See Engel & Morris (1983: 229).

Remarks. Palaeophillipsia? squamata was first described by Engel & Morris (1983) as a species of Phillipsia . They discussed the similarities to the P. moelleri ‘group’ to justify placement within Phillipsia . However, Palaeophillipsia? squamata has a closer resemblance to Australian species of Palaeophillipsia Sugiyama & Okano 1944, in particular the cephalic features. Our assignment to this genus is provisional as it does not have the distinctive pygidial border and furrow, including the border ornament, usually found within species of Palaeophillipsia. The pygidia of P.? squamata are smaller in comparison to the other Australian species, and may represent an immature stage.