Fast Facts about Huntonia Trilobites
Name:
Huntonia is the traditional name used by many collectors. Modern taxonomic sources often use Huntoniatonia, because the older genus name Huntonia was preoccupied by another animal name.
Taxonomy:
Phylum Arthropoda; Class Trilobita; Order Phacopida; Suborder Phacopina; Family Dalmanitidae; Genus Huntoniatonia / Huntonia.
Common species:
Huntonia lingulifer, Huntonia huntonensis, and Huntonia oklahomae.
Age:
Lower Devonian.
Distribution:
Oklahoma, especially the Haragan and Bois d'Arc formations around Black Cat Mountain in Coal County.
Body size:
Medium to large for a trilobite. Many specimens are 2 to 3 inches long, while large examples can approach or exceed 5 inches.
Diet:
Likely an active seafloor predator or scavenger, similar to other phacopid and dalmanitid trilobites.
Physical appearance:
Huntonia has a distinctive snout-like front margin on the cephalon, large raised eyes, genal spines, and a pygidium that may end in a spine.
Collector note:
The long pygidial spine is one of the easiest features to notice on Huntonia lingulifer. Huntonia huntonensis is more common and generally has a shorter tail spine.
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Huntonia Trilobite Facts and Information
Huntonia trilobites are among the most recognizable Devonian trilobites from Oklahoma. They are especially associated with the fossil-rich rocks around Black Cat Mountain, where Lower Devonian limestones of the Haragan and Bois d'Arc formations have produced beautifully preserved trilobites for collectors, museums, and researchers.
These trilobites have a striking body shape. The cephalon, or head, has a forward-projecting "snout" that gives the fossil a distinctive profile. The large raised eyes sit high on the cephalon, and the genal spines extend backward from the cheeks. The pygidium, or tail shield, may also carry a spine. In Huntonia lingulifer, that pygidial spine is especially long and helps separate it from the more common Huntonia huntonensis, which usually has a shorter tail spine.
Huntonia belonged to the phacopid-style trilobites, a group known for prominent eyes and active-looking body forms. Its large eyes and streamlined body suggest that it moved across the Devonian sea floor as a predator or scavenger. Rather than passively filtering food, it likely searched the bottom for small animals, carrion, or organic material.
Many Huntonia fossils are found incomplete because the long spines, raised eyes, and outer shell pieces can break away during burial, weathering, or preparation. Complete, well-prepared specimens are therefore highly collectible. The fossils from Black Cat Mountain are especially famous because skilled preparation can reveal the three-dimensional body, spines, and eye details still locked inside the limestone.
Image Sequence of the Preparation of a Huntonia Trilobite from Oklahoma
Preparation sequence of a Huntonia lingulifer trilobite fossil from Oklahoma.
Locality Information: Black Cat Mountain, Oklahoma
Huntonia trilobites are best known from the Lower Devonian rocks of Oklahoma. The specimens on this page came from the famous Black Cat Mountain area in Coal County, Oklahoma. This locality is known for carefully prepared Devonian trilobites from limestone beds of the Haragan and Bois d'Arc formations.
Black Cat Mountain has become one of the classic trilobite localities in North America. The fossils are usually not simply split cleanly from shale. Instead, many are preserved in hard limestone and must be carefully prepared under magnification. Good preparation can expose the cephalon, large eyes, thorax, pygidium, and spines while leaving the fossil attached to an attractive matrix.
The Black Cat Mountain fossil trip report shows the collecting area and explains how these Oklahoma trilobites were found and prepared.
Huntonia Fossil Examples: H. lingulifer and H. huntonensis
Huntonia lingulifer
Huntonia lingulifer is one of the most dramatic Oklahoma trilobites because of its long pygidial spine. Complete specimens show the forward-projecting cephalon, large raised eyes, backward-pointing genal spines, and the long spine extending from the tail shield.
Location: Black Cat Mountain, Oklahoma
Age: Lower Devonian
Formation: Haragan Formation
Huntonia huntonensis
Huntonia huntonensis is generally more common than H. lingulifer and usually has a shorter pygidial spine. Complete specimens are still highly desirable, but isolated pygidia, cephalons, and partial specimens are more commonly encountered.
Recommended Trilobite and Fossil Hunting Books:
The Trilobite Collector's Guide
Andy Secher, 2024
This book by Andy Secher, a leading trilobite collector, offers a captivating journey into the world of these ancient arthropods. With over 400 stunning photos, entertaining top-ten lists, invaluable collecting tips, and ways to spot a fake trilobite, it's a must-have for fossil enthusiasts!
Trilobites: Common Trilobites of North America (A NatureGuide Book)
Jasper Burns, 2000
An excellent guide for identifying North American trilobites, featuring meticulous line drawings and concise information on classification, geologic range, and distribution. Ideal for enthusiasts seeking detailed insights and accurate identification of these ancient arthropods.
101 American Fossil Sites You've Gotta See
Albert B Dickas, 2018
This is a great updated fossil sites book with at least one fossil site in each state. Each site is broken into 2 pages. One has detailed information, such as directions, GPS coordinates, formation information, etc...
The other is dedicated to images of the site and the fossils found there. It also gives information on fossil 'viewing' sites such as dinosaur trackways, museums, and active excavations.
Plus, my fossil photos are peppered throughout this book!
