Description

Naraoia compacta protaspis
Early Cambrian (Eoredlichia Zone)
Yu’ anshan Member
Qiongzhusi Formation
Chengjiang, China

Extremely rare 6mm protaspis stage specimen. First we have ever seen.

Arthropod. Soft-bodied. Lagerstatten.

Naraoia is a genus of soft-bodied arthropods (Order Nektaspida) that had been classified as a trilobite by some; something like a crustacean by others.  This specimen is one of the earliest-known of the group which survived at least into the Late Silurian.

This unique arthropod is preserved in its larval or protaspis stage – the earliest part of growth after hatching.

For a fantastic explanation of trilobite growth and ontogeny see Sam Gon III’s site:
Trilobite Reproduction and Development
https://www.trilobites.info/ontogeny.htm