The Cambrian trilobites of Jordan – taxonomy, systematic and stratigraphic significance

Abstract

Marine carbonates and siliciclastic rocks of the Burj Formation in Jordan include paucispecific trilobite associations of the (traditional) Lower–Middle Cambrian boundary interval. Comprehensive new material of these trilobites allows a review of their taxonomy and systematic positions as well as a refined morphological description and a reconsideration of previous interpretations of their stratigraphic position and thus the correlation of the fossiliferous beds. In addition to the classic species Kingaspis campbelli (King, 1923) and Redlichops blanckenhorni Richter and Richter, 1941, Timnaella? orientalis (Picard, 1942) and Hesa problematica Richter and Richter, 1941, the discussed trilobites include Issalia gen. nov. with Issalia scutalis gen. nov., sp. nov., Tayanaspis gen. nov. with Tayanaspis bulbosus gen. nov., sp. nov., Uhaymiria gen. nov. with Uhaymiria glabra gen. nov., sp. nov., Cambrunicornia ? jafnaensis sp. nov., Myopsolenites palmeri (Parnes, 1971), M. hyperion sp. nov., and Enixus cf. antiquus (Chernysheva, 1956). Myopsolenites boutiouiti Geyer and Landing, 2004 is now regarded as a junior synonym of Myopsolenites altus (Liñán and Gozalo, 1986). A detailed discussion of the correlation with a focus on global aspects provides clues for the utility of potential index fossils for the global Cambrian Series 3 and Stage 5.