Calymene


Calymene is a genus of trilobites in the order Phacopida, suborder Calymenina, that are found throughout North America, North Africa, and Europe in primarily Silurian outcrops. Calymene is closely related to Flexicalymene, and both genera are frequently found enrolled.
Calymene trilobites are small, typically 2 cm in length. The cephalon is the widest part of the animal and the thorax usually has 13 segments.
The correct genus authorship is Brongniart. A previously published genus description in Desmarest was suppressed by ICZN Opinion 1433.

Etymology

Calymene - meaning beautiful crescent as a reference to the glabella.

Known species and locations

Reassigned species

Since the genus Calymene was established early on in paleontology, a number of species previously assigned to it have since been transferred to other genera:C. aculeata = Parasolenopleura aculeataC. aequalis = Archegonus aequalisC. anchiops = Anchiopella anchiopsC. arachnoides = Asteropyge arachnoidesC. arago = Colpocoryphe aragoC. articulata = Crotalocephalus articulatusC. baylei = Metacalymene bayleiC. bellatula = Cybele bellatulaC. bufo rana = Phacops ranaC. calicephala = Orimops calicephalaC. canaliculata = Solenopleura canaliculataC. cambrensis = Flexicalymene cambrensisC. caractaci = Flexicalymene caractaciC. clavifrons = Cyrtometopus clavifronsC. concinna = Proetus concinnusC. diademata = Diacalymene diademataC. downingiae = Acaste downingiaeC. frontiloba = Pliomera fischeriC. granulata = Phacops granulatusC. holometopa = Solenopleura holometopaC. marginata = Perliproetus marginataC. odini = Chasmops odiniC. ornata = Ceraurinella ornataC. papillata = Papillicalymene papillataC. platycephala = Platycoryphe platycephalaC. polytoma = Pliomera fischeriC. sclerops = Pterygometopus scleropsC. sinensis = Blackwelderia sinensisC. speciosa = Parapilekia speciosaC. stenometopa = Acrocephalites stenometopusC. stokesii = Phacopidae, generic assignment uncertainC. tingi = Calymenesun tingiC. tournemini = Placoparia tourneminiC. tristani = Synhomalonotus tristaniC. unicornis = Reedocalymene unicornisC. variolaris = Balizoma variolarisC. verrucosa = Atractopyge verrucosaC. volborthi = ''Ptychometopus volborthi''