''Globampyx'' is an

extinct Extinction is the termination of a kind of organism or of a group of kinds (taxon), usually a species. The moment of extinction is generally considered to be the death of the last individual of the species, although the capacity to breed and ...

genus Genus ( plural genera ) is a taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of extant taxon, living and fossil organisms as well as Virus classification#ICTV classification, viruses. In the hierarchy of biological classification, genus com ...

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. It lived during the later part of the Arenig stage of the

Ordovician Period The Ordovician ( ) is a geologic period and system, the second of six periods of the Paleozoic Era. The Ordovician spans 41.6 million years from the end of the Cambrian Period million years ago (Mya) to the start of the Silurian Period Mya. The ...

, approximately 478 to 471 million years ago. Species of the genus are known from Canada (southeastern British Columbia), Norway (Svalbard) and Sweden.

Distribution

* ''G. sinalae'' is known from the Middle Ordovician of Canada (''Orthidiella'' brachiopod zone, Glenogle Shales Formation, North White River Section, British Columbia, 471.8-468.1 Ma) * ''G. trinucleoides'' is known from the Middle Ordovician of Svalbard (''Psephosthenaspis microspinosa'' small shelly zone, Olenidsletta Member, Valhallfonna Formation, Ny friesland, 471.8-457.5 Ma)

Description

The headshield (or

cephalon Cephalon, Inc. was an American biopharmaceutical company co-founded in 1987 by pharmacologist Frank Baldino, Jr., neuroscientist Michael Lewis, and organic chemist James C. Kauer—all three former scientists with the DuPont Company. Baldino s ...

) of ''Globampyx'' is densely covered with very small granules. The central raised area of the cephalon (or

glabella The glabella, in humans, is the area of skin between the eyebrows and above the nose. The term also refers to the underlying bone that is slightly depressed, and joins the two brow ridges. It is a cephalometric landmark that is just superior to ...

) has an inverted flask-shape. It lacks the rapier-like glabellar spine of many other raphiophorids, but only has a tubercle. The thorax has five segments. The short but wide triangular pygidium, with a rather low axis (or rhachis) of up to six indistinct rings that reaches the faint border furrow.

References

Raphiophoridae Asaphida genera Ordovician trilobites Paleozoic life of British Columbia Fossils of Svalbard Fossils of Sweden Paleozoic life of Yukon {{Svalbard-stub