''Paranephrolenellus'' 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 ...

fossil A fossil (from Classical Latin , ) is any preserved remains, impression, or trace of any once-living thing from a past geological age. Examples include bones, shells, exoskeletons, stone imprints of animals or microbes, objects preserved ...

marine

arthropods Arthropods (, (gen. ποδός)) are invertebrate animals with an exoskeleton, a Segmentation (biology), segmented body, and paired jointed appendages. Arthropods form the phylum Arthropoda. They are distinguished by their jointed limbs and Arth ...

. Currently four species are attributed to it. ''Paranephrolenellus'' lived at the end of the Lower Cambrian.

Etymology

''Paranephrolenellus'' is named for the close similarity of this genus to ''

Nephrolenellus ''Nephrolenellus'' is an extinct genus of trilobite, fossil marine arthropods, of relatively small size (sagittal length of cephalon rarely exceeds 11 mm). Currently two species are attributed to it. ''Nephrolenellus'' lived at the end of th ...

''. The names of the species are derived as follows. * ''P. besti'' is named in honor of R.V. Best, for his work on the olenelloids of the Laurentian Cordillera. * ''P. inflatus'' refers to the inflation of the lateral cephalic border and base of the genal spines. * ''P. klondikensis'' is named for Klondike Gap, Chief Range, where the species was first discovered.

References

Cambrian trilobites of North America Redlichiida genera Biceratopsidae Cambrian genus extinctions {{Redlichiida-stub