Unknown critter from Ellisburg, NY

[Nautiloid]

I found this while fossil hunting in a creek near Lake Ontario in NY. It is Ordovician in age and I believe it is from the Trenton group. 

[FossilDAWG]

It is a bumastid trilobite.  Unfortunately these were highly effaced (meaning smooth, almost featureless) and it can be hard to ID genera, such as Bumastus vs Failleana.  Species are even harder unless one has a complete specimen so you can count thoracic segments.  Indeed, it can be hard to tell a cephalon from a pygidium!  Maybe a few photos from other angles would help.

 

Don

[Nautiloid]

16 minutes ago, FossilDAWG said:

It is a bumastid trilobite.  Unfortunately these were highly effaced (meaning smooth, almost featureless) and it can be hard to ID genera, such as Bumastus vs Failleana.  Species are even harder unless one has a complete specimen so you can count thoracic segments.  Indeed, it can be hard to tell a cephalon from a pygidium!  Maybe a few photos from other angles would help.

 

Don

 

[FossilDAWG]

With these new views, it might even be a Thaleops cephalon.  @piranha, @Kane, @Malcolmt, or @Northern Sharks should be able to offer suggestions as well.

 

Don

[Kane]

+1 for Thaleops sp.

[aek]

+1Thaleops sp. I find lots of these in the Ordovician of Illinois.

[Malcolmt]

Definitely Thaleops cephalon  otherwise known as Nanillaenus

[Nautiloid]

Thanks for the ID. I looked Thaleops up and that’s definitely right.