Contribution
The Silurian proetines and crassiproetines (Trilobita) of the German Pleistocene glacial erratic boulders, with notes on related taxa from other northern European sites
Basse, Martin; Schöning, Heinrich
Neues Jahrbuch für Geologie und Paläontologie - Abhandlungen Band 317 Heft 2 (2026), p. 155 - 223
192 références bibliographiques
publié: May 30, 2026
publication en ligne: Apr 24, 2026
manuscrit accepté: Apr 10, 2026
manuscrit reçu: Jan 22, 2026
DOI: 10.1127/njgpa/1311
ArtNo. ESP155031702003, Prix: 29.00 €
Abstract
During investigations on Baltoscandian glacial erratic Wenlock to Přídolí boulders from northern Germany the following proetine genera were identified: Plesiowensus, Proetus, Pulcherproetus, Signatoproetus and Wenlowiproetus n. g. New and old discoveries allow to describe several new taxa of the species group: Proetus nebenkruegerorum n. sp., P. sellinianus n. sp., Pulcherproetus inexspectatus damsdorfensis n. ssp., P. rudolphi n. sp., Signatoproetus leviconvexus n. sp., Wenlowiproetus erraticus sueselensis n. ssp., W. glaciportans n. sp., W. hiddenseeensis n. sp., W. ruegenianus n. sp. Numerous finds were described in open nomenclature. Llandovery glacial boulders yielding proetines were not identified with certainty in Europe. Holaspid phase developments affect the morphology of some of these proetines. Due to lack of material, however, related taxonomic applications are currently out of sight. Glacial erratic crassiproetines, Hedstroemia, are only known from Wenlock boulders. One likely Llandovery find, cf. Astroproetus, is taxonomically problematic. Glacial erratic Silurian boulders of the Netherlands have yielded Pulcherproetus sp., Signatoproetus? sp. and Proetinae indet. Boulders from Poland include former Proetus spp., which are now assigned to Wenlowiproetus lupus n. sp., W. polonicus n. sp. and Pulcherproetus sp. A pygidium of Signatoproetus is the first record of a proetine from Denmark glacial erratics. Baltoscandian bedrock: Proetinae and Crassiproetinae from this area have hardly been studied in modern times and only to a limited extent. From Gotland (Sweden), the same genera are known as in glacial erratics, and the following species are new: Proetus frankei n. sp., P. gotlandensis n. sp., Signatoproetus muelleri n. sp. Gotland Proetus concinnus is essentially limited to its lectotype. In Estonia, Silurian Proetinae is represented by Proetus, Pulcherproetus, Signatoproetus? and Wenlowiproetus?, Crassiproetinae by Hedstroemia and Thebanaspis. Other bedrock: Some proetids from the Silurian of Ukraine (Podolia) were updated. They include Proetus, Pulcherproetus, Signatoproetus, Wenlowiproetus n. g., Astroproetus? and the tropidocoryphid Decoroproetus? sp. The Proetinae shows close morphological relationships to faunas from glacial deposits. Currently, Proetinae and Crassiproetinae species from European glacial deposits seem to show little morphological similarity to species from the Baltoscandian deposits. Three possible cases are discussed. This contribution significantly reinforces the previous impression of a great diversity of morphologies among Baltoscandian Silurian Proetinae. urn:lsid:zoobank.org:pub:BBA8C003-E919-489B83E0-18D78A12EC0C
Mots-clefs
proetids • Silurian • northern Europe • glacial erratics • bedrock • taxonomy • geographic distribution