Trilobites of Ontario
Master List (DRAFT)
Southern and Northern Fauna
Prepared by: K. Faucher 2021 The following is a complete trilobite faunal list encompassing the Province of Ontario. No descriptions are provided. All species in the list have been reported in peer-reviewed literature. Taxonomic assignments from more dated literature have been revised to reflect those changes (particularly in the Phacopid and Proetid reassignments). Stratigraphic issues that have since been refined has meant porting some species to their appropriate new stratigraphic home (consider, for example, the work of Stauffer [1915] and that which is reported in the “corniferous limestone”). I have made those decisions on the basis of best efforts and determining stratigraphic equivalency; any errors are mine and mine alone.
This list is informed by numerous sources. I am grateful to the works of Ludvigsen (1979), Hessin (1988, 2009), Isotalo (2015), and Rudkin and Westrop (1999) in addition to several journal articles and discussions with a number of paleontologists. A full list of sources is available on request.
It should be noted that this represents where trilobite specimens have been reported, even if in fragmentary form; this is not an indication that complete body fossils are necessarily available in any of the strata. Moreover, given the complexity of some formations, trilobites may only appear in specific facies, and so it should not be assumed that a species will appear in every unit or member of a formation. Some reported species are known only by a single fragment. A volumetric analysis would be beneficial, but is outside the scope of this list.
A more significantly detailed field guide of Devonian trilobites of Ontario is currently under preparation by this author.
There are a number of taxonomic uncertainties in Ontario trilobites, and particularly where formal descriptions of some species are wanting. Trilobites from northern Ontario do require more sustained research, but the remoteness and environment make that a distinct challenge. Ordovician - Southern Ontario (75)
TAXA OF GR B V L BMB GB
Achatella achates X
Amphilichas ottawaensis X X X
Anataphrus sinclairi X X
Basiliella barrandei X
Bathyurus acutus X
Bathyurus (Raymondites) bandifer X
Bathyurus (Raymondites) extans X
Bathyurus (Raymondites) clochensis*** X
Bathyurus (Raymondites) ingalli X X
Bathyurus (Raymondites) johnstoni X
Bathyurus (Raymondites) longispinus X
Bathyurus (Raymondites) superbus X
Bathyurus (Raymondites) trispinosus X X
Bufoceraurus bispinosus X X
Bumastoides bellevillensis X
Bumastoides billingsi X
Bumastoides milleri X X X
Bunmastoides porrectus X
Calyptaulax callicephalus X X X X
Ceraurinella trentonensis X
Ceraurinus marginatus X
Ceraurinus serratus X
Ceraurinus sp. X
Ceraurus globulobatus X X
Ceraurus matranseris X
Ceraurus milleranus X X
Ceraurus sp. X X
Cryptolithus bellulus X X
Cryptolithus sp. X TAXA OF GR B V L BMB GB
Cybeloides ella X
Cybeloides plana X
Eobronteus sp. X
Erratencrinurus vigilans X
Failleana indeterminata X X X X
Flexicalymene croneisi X
Flexicalymene granulosa X
Flexicalymene senaria X X X
Flexicalymene sp. X
Gabriceraurus dentatus X X
Gignopeltis convexus X
Gignopeltis rarus X
Goniotellina subrectus X
Hemiarges leviculus X
Hemiarges paulianus X X
Hibbertia ottawaensis X X
Hypodicranotus striatulus X X
Isoteloides canalis X
Isotelus “mafritzae” (A and B morphotypes) X
Isotelus gigas X X
Isotelus iowensis X X
Isotelus latus X
Isotelus maximus X
Isotelus ottawaensis X X
Isotelus sp. X X
Kawina trentonensis X
Leviceraurus mammiloides X
Meadowtownella trentonensis X
Nanillaenus americanus* X X
Otarion laurentinum X TAXA OF GR B V L BMB GB
Physemataspis pernodosus X
Proetus chambliensis ** X
Pseudogygites latimarginatus X X
Sceptaspis lincolnensis X
Sphaerocoryphe robusta X
Strotactinus salteri X
Thaelops depressicapitata X
Thaelops ovata X
Thaleops angusticollis X
Thaleops conradi X
Thaleops latiaxiata X X
Thaleops laurentiana X
Triarthrus canadensis X
Triarthrus eatoni X
Triarthrus glaber X
Triarthrus rougensis X
Triarthrus sp X
Triarthrus spinosus X
TOTAL (75) 5 17 14 22 29 11 7
OF = Oxford Fm, GR = Gull River Fm, B = Bobcaygeon, V = Verulam Fm, L = Lindsay Fm, BMB = Blue Mtn/Billings Fm, GB = Georgian Bay Fm. * = historic species. ** = Cited by Foerste (1916) and in the Carlsbad Fm (equivalent to the Georgian Bay Fm); *** = Found on La Cloche Island, north of Manitoulin (equiv. to Bobcaygeon Fm). Silurian - Southern Ontario (15)
TAXA M G/CH I R L/A Gue
Arctinurus boltoni X
Bumastus ioxus X X X X
Bumastus aboynensis X
Calymene niagrensis X X X X X
Cheirurus niagerensis X X
Cheirurus welleri X
Dalmanites limulurus X X X X X
Encrinuroides sp. X X X
Scutellum acamus X
Scutellum rochesterense X X
Sphaerexochus romingeri X
Trimerus delphinocephalus X
Dicranopeltis fragosa X
Acernaspis sp. X X
Leonaspis cf. illinoiensis X X
TOTAL (15) 6 6 3 5 9 2
M = Manitoulin Fm, G/CH = Grimsby / Cabot Head Fm, I = Irondequoit Fm, R = Rochester Fm, L/A = Lockport / Amabel Fm, Gue = Guelph Silurian — Northern Ontario
TAXA A Th/E
Diacalymene sp. X
Scutellum n. sp. X
Acernaspis sp. X
Acidapsis sp. X
Bumastus sp. X
Calymene niagarensis X
Calymene sp. X
Cheirurus niagerensis X
Cheirurus sp. X
Cheirurus welleri X
Cheirurus sp. cf. C. welleri X
Chiozoon umisk X
Cyphoproetus sp. X
Deiphon sp. X
Distyrax n. sp. X
Ekwanoscutellum ekwanensis X
Encrinurus sp. 1 X
Encrinurus sp. 2 X
Flexicalymene sp. X
Goldillaenus? sp. X
Meropix aquilonaris X
Opoa sp. X
Otarion sp. X
Perryus severnensis X
Platylichas? sp. X
Rielaspis cf. elegantula X
Scotoharpes sp. X
Selenopeltoides sp. 1 X TAXA A Th/E
Selenopeltoides sp. 2 X
Stelkaspis sp. X
Stenopareoa? sp. X
Winiskia perryi X
TOTAL (33) 23 10
A= Attawapiskat Formation, Th/E = Thornloe and Earlton Fms. Note: due to a lack of detailed study of these two formations, which are gradational, it cannot be reliably determined if the trilobite fauna resides in one or the other formation. Devonian — Southern Ontario (29)
TAXA BB Am L D Ar W K
Acanthopyge contusa X
Anchiopsis anchiops X
Anchiopsis tuberculatus X
Bellacartwrightia jennyae X
Burtonops cristata X
Calymene platys X
Coronura aspectans X
Coronura myrmecophorus X
Crassiproetus canadensis X X
Crassiproetus crassimarginatus X X X X
Dipleura dekayi X X
Echinolichas eriopis X
Echinolichas hispidus X
Eldredgeops iowensis southworthi X
Eldredgeops rana X X X X
Greenops widderensis X
Harpidella craspedota X
Harpidella sp. X
Mannopyge halli X
Mystrocephala stummi X
Odontocephalus n. sp. X
Odontocephalus selenurus X
Otarion sp. ?intermedia X
Pseudodechenella sp. X X X X X X
Stummiana arkonensis X
Terataspis grandis X
Trypaulites calypso X
Trypaulites erinus X X X TAXA BB Am L D Ar W K
Viaphacops bombifrons X
TOTAL (29) 10 9 2 9 3 9 2 Devonian — Northern Ontario
TAXA K
“Dalmanites” = Anchiopsis sp. X
“Proetus” sp. X
Burtonops cf. cristata X
Calymene platys X
Ceratolichas sp. X
Paciphacops sp. X
Terataspis sp. X
Total (7)
K- Kwataboahegan
NB: The northern Devonian trilobite faunal list is fairly incomplete (and does not include the younger strata of Moose River Fm). The Kwataboahegan is roughly equivalent to the Bois Blanc Fm in southern Ontario, despite previous assertions of a fit with the Amherstburg Fm. The trilobite fauna does not correspond with Amherstburg trilobites, but is a fair match for Bois Blanc Fm. A good many of the species listed above were reported by Wolfgang Vogel, as well as Dave Rudkin. Southern Ontario Trilobite Diversity (by species count / formation)
K W Ar D L Devonian Am BB 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
Gue L/A R I
Silurian G/CH M 0 1 2 3 5 6 7 8 9
GB BM/B L V B
Ordovician GR OF 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30