Otrootridae

Otrootridae is a small, extinct family of trilobites, marine arthropods known from Paleozoic rocks. The family is diagnosed by a combination of cephalic and thoracic features and is primarily reported from strata in what is now North America and Western Europe. The name Otrootridae derives from the type genus Otrootrus.

Taxonomy and genera: The type genus Otrootrus anchors the family. Other genera that have been assigned to Otrootridae include Otrotritus and Otropleura (as used in some classifications).

Morphology: Otrootrids are generally small to medium-sized trilobites with an oval cephalon, a moderately convex glabella, and broad librigenae. The thorax typically comprises eight to ten segments; the pygidium ranges from small to moderately large, often with a distinct axis and a relatively smooth surface.

Ecology and distribution: They inhabited shallow-marine environments and were likely detritivores or scavengers on the seafloor. Their fossils are commonly found in carbonate-rich shelf deposits, indicating a benthic lifestyle in nearshore settings.

Significance: As part of early Paleozoic trilobite assemblages, Otrootridae contributes to understandings of trilobite diversification and faunal turnover across Ordovician to Silurian intervals. Ongoing discoveries and re-evaluations of genera within the family continue to refine its precise relationships to other trilobite groups.