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Applications of the Study of Trilobite Ontogeny

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  17 July 2017

Brian D.E. Chatterton  and
Stephen E. Speyer
Brian D.E. Chatterton
Affiliation:
Department of Geology, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta T6G 2E3, Canada
Stephen E. Speyer
Affiliation:
Department of Geosciences, University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona 85721, U.S.A.
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Extract

Trilobites, like most arthropods, grew through a series of discrete increments (known as instars). The moulted sclerites accumulated in the sediment and were potentially preserved. This mode of growth provides us with a tangible record of morphological attributes that characterize a given stage in an individual's ontogeny, and a record of changes that occur between successive stages.

Type
Research Article
Information
Short Courses in Paleontology , Volume 3: Arthropod Paleobiology , 1990 , pp. 116 - 136
Copyright
Copyright © 1990 Paleontological Society 

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