Small problematic phosphatic sclerites from the Ordovician of Iapetus

Problematic sclerites are common in Cambrian rocks around the world, but mu ch less so in those of the Ordovician. Eurytholia prattensis new genus and species and E. elibata new species, described herein, are rare but widely d istributed faunal elements in a narrow stratigraphical interval (Pygodus se rra and P. anserinus conodont biozones) within Ordovician beds in an area b ordering Iapetus (South Wales. UK: Alabama, USA: Dalarna. Sweden; and North Estonia). Specimens are minute plates (usually less than 1 mm wide), trans versely ovoid, and hollow. They are not closely comparable with any previou sly described fossils. Eurytholia plates are interpreted as dorsal dermal s clerites from an animal of uncertain affinities. The scleritome is provisio nally reconstructed as ovoid in form, with sclerites arranged in sub-longit udinal rows.