It's time for Trilobite Tuesday! This 4-in-ch (10.2-cm-) long, spinose, Devonian asteropygid from North Africa represents a new species that has yet to be formally described. Recent analysis suggests it’s closely related to Quadrops flexuosa; however, it differs most notably in having a large, shovel-like rostrum at the front of its cephalon—rather than the expected quadrant of fork-like spines.
The possible biological function of such notable features has long intrigued paleontologists: Hypotheses about feeding ecology or sexual selection continue to be tested.




















