Lichida is an order of typically spiny
trilobite that lived from the
Furongian to the
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 ...
period.
These trilobites usually have 8–13
thoracic segments.
Their exoskeletons often have a grainy texture or have wart or spine-like tubercles. Some species are extraordinarily spiny, having spiny thoracic segments that are as long or longer than the entire body, from
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 ...
(head) to
pygidium (tail). The sections of the pygidia are leaf-like in shape and also typically end in spines.
The order is divided into two families,
Lichidae, and
Lichakephalidae.
Some experts group the families of the closely related order
Odontopleurida
Odontopleurida is an order (biology), order of very spinose trilobites closely related to the trilobites of the order Lichida. Some experts group the Odontopleurid families, Odontopleuridae and Damesellidae, within Lichida. Odontopleurids tend ...
within Lichida, too, whereupon the family is then divided into three superfamilies, Dameselloidea, containing the family
Damesellidae, Lichoidea, containing the families Lichidae and Lichakephalidae, and Odontopleuroidea, containing the family
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 ...
.
Taxa traditionally placed within Lichida
As mentioned earlier, the order Lichida is divided into two families.
Lichidae
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Acanthopyge
''Acanthopyge'' is an extinct genus of lichid trilobite that lived during the 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 ag ...
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Akantharges''
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Allolichas''
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Amphilichas''
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Apatolichas
''Apatolichas'' is an extinct genus from a well-known class of fossil marine arthropods, the trilobites. It lived during the later part of the Arenig stage of the Ordovician Period
The Ordovician ( ) is a geologic period and system, the second ...
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Arctinurus''
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Autoloxolichas''
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Borealarges''
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Ceratarges
''Ceratarges'' was a genus of lichid Trilobite from the Middle Devonian. It lived in what is now western Europe and Morocco
Morocco (),, ) officially the Kingdom of Morocco, is the westernmost country in the Maghreb region of North Af ...
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Conolichas''
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Craspedarges''
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Dicranogmus''
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Dicranopeltis''
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Echinolichas''
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Eifliarges''
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Gaspelichas''
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Hemiarges''
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Homolichas''
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Hoplolichas''
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Hoplolichoides''
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Jasperia''
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Leiolichas''
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Lichas''
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Lobopyge''
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Lyralichas''
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Mephiarges''
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Metaleiolichas''
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Metalichas''
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Metopolichas''
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Neolichas''
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Nipponarges''
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Ohleum''
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Oinochoe''
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Otarozoum''
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Paraleiolichas''
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Perunaspis ''
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Platylichas''
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Probolichas''
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Pseudotupolichas''
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Radiolichas''
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Richterarges''
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Rontrippia''
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Terataspis''
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Terranovia''
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Trimerolichas''
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Trochurus''
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Uralichas''
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Uripes''
Lichakephalidae
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Acidaspidella''
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Acidaspides''
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Acidaspidina''
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Archikainella''
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Belovia''
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Bestjubella''
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Brutonia''
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Colossaspis''
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Eoacidaspis''
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Lichakephalus''
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Lichokephalina''
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Metaacidaspis''
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Paraacidaspis''
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Usoviana''
References
Further reading
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External links
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Trilobite orders
Furongian first appearances
Cambrian trilobites
Ordovician trilobites
Silurian trilobites
Devonian trilobites
Frasnian extinctions
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