{{Automatic taxobox | fossil_range = {{Geological range|522|510|Atdabanian/Botomian}}<ref name="Sepkoski">{{cite journal | last = Sepkoski| first = Jack| title = A compendium of fossil marine animal genera (Trilobita entry)| journal = Bulletins of American Paleontology| volume = 364|page=560| year = 2002| url = http://strata.ummp.lsa.umich.edu/jack/showgenera.php?taxon=307&rank=class| access-date = 2008-01-12 }}</ref> | image = Resserops NMNH.jpg | image_caption = ''Resserops'' fossil, National Museum of Natural History | taxon = Resserops | authority = Richter & Richter, 1940<ref>{{cite journal|last1= Richter|first1= Rudolf|last2= Richter|first2= Emma|year= 1940|title= Studien im Paläozoikum der Mittelmeer-Länder, 5: Die Saukianda-Stufe von Andalusien, eine fremde Fauna im europäischen Ober-Kambrium|journal= Abhandlungen der Senckenbergischen Naturforschenden Gesellschaft|volume= 450|pages= 1–81}}</ref> }}
'''''Resserops''''' is an extinct genus from a well-known class of fossil marine arthropods, the trilobites. It lived during the middle of the Atdabanian or the early part of the Botomian stage,<ref name="Sepkoski"/> which lasted from approximately 524 to 518.5 million years ago. This faunal stage was part of the Cambrian Period. It has been found in Spain and southern Morocco. It can be recognised by the sabre-like spines of the headshield that are a smooth continuation of the frontal edge, and the enlarged spines on the 9th segment of the thorax.
== Distribution == Lower Cambrian of Spain<ref name='Whittington et al'/> and Southern Morocco (''Daguinaspis'' and ''Resserops''-zone near Amouslek, Ouijane and Tiout).<ref>{{cite book|last1= Zhang|first1= W.-T.|last2= Chen|first2= P.-J.|last3= Palmer|first3= A.R.|year= 2003|title= Biostratigraphy of China|publisher= Science Press|location= Beijing}}</ref>
== Taxonomy == The Treatise<ref name='Whittington et al'>Whittington, H. B. et al. Part O, Treatise on Invertebrate Paleontology. Revised, Volume 1 – Trilobita – Introduction, Order Agnostina, Order Redlichiida. 1997</ref> considers ''Resserops'' and ''Richterops'' subgenera of ''Perrector'', which name was proposed by Hupé in the same publication as ''Resserops'' and ''Richterops'', but appears above it and thus has preference. Later publications use ''Resserops'' and ''Richterops'' however as separate genera.
== Description == As with most early trilobites, ''Resserops'' has an almost flat exoskeleton, that is only thinly calcified, and has crescent-shaped eye ridges. As a representative of the Redlichiina suborder, the headshield (or cephalon) has sutures where the exoskeleton ruptures to assist in moulting. The cephalon is approximately ovate, more than twice as wide as long. There is no space between the raised axis (or glabella) and the raised ridge (or anterior border) that defines the contour of the cephalon (in jargon: the preglabellar field is absent). The eye ridges are large, extend outward and arch backward near their tips. The cephalon carries massive sabre-like relatively short spines (or genal spines) that are a smooth continuation of the anterior border. The genal spines are connected at about half of the length of the cephalon (or are well-advanced). The tips of the genal spines are approximately as far out as their base. The thorax has 12 segments, the 9th segment (counted from the front) carries large spines at its tips, longer than the genal spines and longer than the thorax axis, extending about one pygidial length behind the body. The tailshield (or pygidium) has a smooth border, is large for a redlichiida, (about 60% of the length of the cephalon), both the axis and pleural regions of the pygidium have about 6 recognisable segments.<ref name='Whittington et al'/>
==References== {{Reflist}}
{{Taxonbar|from=Q18608912}}
Category:Cambrian trilobites Category:Redlichiida genera Category:Saukiandidae Category:Trilobites of Europe Category:Trilobites of Africa