Belinuridae

/ˌbɛlɪnjʊˈrædɪ/ noun

Definition

An extinct family of trilobites (armored marine arthropods) from the Paleozoic Era.

Etymology

From 'Belinurus' (the genus name, from Greek 'belis' meaning javelin + 'oura' meaning tail) + '-idae' (standard scientific suffix for biological families). Coined by paleontologists in the 18th-19th centuries.

Kelly Says

Belinurids were trilobites with spectacular tail spines that looked like javelins—which is exactly what their name means! They're some of the earliest and most primitive trilobites.

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