page_title: Olenellina
section_title: Key to the Superfamilies
hierarchical_section_title: Olenellina / Key to the Superfamilies
caption_attribution_description: English: Schematic of the relations between the superfamilies within the Olenellina and with other trilobites, based on Lieberman 1998, 1999, 2001, 2002.
context_page_description: Olenellina is a suborder of the order Redlichiida of Trilobites that occurs about halfway during the Lower Cambrian, at the start of the stage called the Atdabanian. The earliest trilobites in the fossil record are arguably Olenellina, although the earliest Redlichiina and Eodiscina follow quickly. The suborder died out when the Lower passed into the Middle Cambrian, at the end of the stage called Toyonian. A feature uniting the Olenellina is the lack of rupture lines in the headshield, which in other trilobites assist the periodic moulting, associated with arthropod growth. Some derived trilobites have lost facial sutures again, but all of these are blind, while all Olenellina have eyes.
caption: Graphic of the relationship between the superfamilies within the Olenellina, and with other trilobites
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