A new, morphologically diverse Permian trilobite fauna from Oman
Richard A. Fortey and Alan P. Heward
A newly discovered trilobite fauna from the early to middle Permian Qarari Unit of northeastern Sultanate of Oman is described. It comprises exceptionally complete and well-preserved examples of five proetoid species, belonging to genera typical of an eastern Tethyan region extending through southern Asia to Timor. The shallow shelf fauna compares closely with one of Artinskian age from Afghanistan. Permian species previously assigned to Paladin are here considered unrelated to this predominantly Carboniferous clade, and are placed in a new ditomopygine genus, Simulopaladin, type species Simulopaladin tridentifer sp. nov. Three other ditomopygine species are described: Hentigia ornata sp. nov., Iranaspidion elephas sp. nov., and Acanthophillipsia felicitae sp. nov. The proetid Triproetus bonbon sp. nov. is the most complete material known of a more widespread genus.
Key words: Trilobita, palaeogeography, Permian, Oman.
Richard Fortey [R.Fortey@nhm.ac.uk], Department of Palaeontology, The Natural History Museum, Cromwell Road, London SW7 5BD, UK; Alan Heward [alan@midfarm.demon.co.uk], 23 Croftdown Court, Abbey Road, Malvern WR14 3HZ, UK.
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