Condylopyge
Condylopyge Hawle and Corda (1847) is a genus of agnostid trilobite that lived during the late Lower and early Middle Cambrian, in what are today Canada (Newfoundland and New Brunswick), the Czech Republic, England and Wales, France, Germany, Italy, Morocco, the Russian Federation (North-East Siberia), Spain, Turkey and Sweden. It can easily be distinguished from all other Agnostida because the frontal glabellar lobe is notably wider than the rear lobe. It belongs to the same family as Pleuroctenium but the frontal glabellar lobe does not fold around the rear lobe, as it does in that genus. Condylopyge is long ranging, possibly spanning the early Cambrian Terreneuvian Series in Nuneaton, central England into at least Drumian strata (middle stage of the Miaolingian Series) at various locations elsewhere. Description Condylopyge is isopygous with cephalon and pygidium of approximately equal size. The characteristic lateral expansion of the frontal glabellar lobe, occipital structures, and pygidial axis with three pairs of lateral lobes and a terminal piece differentiate Condylopygidae from all other agnostids. The presence of a spine on the occipital band has been recognised as a distinctive feature of condylopygoids (Rushton 1966: p. 29). Condylopyge is easily distinguished from its sister taxon, Pleuroctenium, because the frontal glabellar lobe does not extend partially around the posterior glabellar lobe. Furthermore the frontal glabellar lobe is never bisected medially as in Pleuroctenium. The pygidium may carry a pair of backwardly directed spines, but this also occurs regularly in Pleuroctenium. Distribution C. eli, was originally collected from the Jbel Wawrmast Formation, Bou Tiouit section, at 51.1 m, in Morocco, Morroconus notabilis Zone. Holotype pygidium refigured by Geyer & Vincent (2014, p. 384, fig. 9D ). C. antiqua was recovered from the latest Lower to the early Middle Cambrian of Italy (Campo Pisano Formation, 4 km south-east of Fluminimaggiore, Iglesiente area, South-West Sardinia). C. amitina From the Purley Shale Formation (c. 450' above base), Camp Hill, St. Paul's Church, Stockingford, Nuneaton, Warwickshire, England [Closest ICS interval: Cambrian Series 3 – Terreneuvian (521–541.0 Ma). C. imperator and C. blayaci were found in the early Middle Cambrian Couloma Formation of France (Paradoxides beds, Herault, Languedoc). C. carinata is present in the early Middle Cambrian of Morocco (A. birameus beds, Tissafin stage, Jbel Wawrmast Formation, Feijas internes group, Touchagt near Tinedjad, in the North of Alnif). The species, originally described by Westergård (1936) from the Mossberga Borehole in Öland, Sweden, occurs also in Borgholm on the same island and possibly in Wales as C. cambrensis (Rees et al., p.12). P. cruzensis has been identified from the early Middle Cambrian of Spain (Acadoparadoxides mureroensis trilobite zone, Valdemiedes Formation, Aragon). C. matutina is present in the Middle Cambrian of Turkey (Çal Tepe Formation, near Seydişehir, Central Taurides). C. globosa was collected from the Abbey Shale Formation (horizon C2), Tomagnostus fissus Biozone of Hartshill Hayes, near Nuneaton, Wawrickshire, England. C. rex has been collected from the early Middle Cambrian of the Czech Republic (E. pusillus-zone, Týřovice an Skryje, Bohemia), and Spain (Badulesia-zone, Los Villares Formation,