Trilobite hypostome as a fusion of anterior sclerite and labrum

Abstract

The trilobite hypostome is a biomineralized ventral plate that covers the mouth, but its evolutionary origin remains controversial. The labrum is a lobe-like structure that can take on variety of shapes in front of the mouth in arthropods, while the anterior sclerite refers to a cuticular plate articulated to the anterior margin of the head in some Cambrian arthropods. Here I present a perspective that views the trilobite hypostome as a fusion of the anterior sclerite and the labrum based on anatomical, topological, and developmental evidence. According to this perspective, the anterior lobe of the hypostome originated from the anterior sclerite, while the posterior lobe reflects a remnant of the sclerotized cover of the labrum. The convex anterior lobe housed the root of the eye stalks, represented by the palpebral ridges and the hypostomal wing, and the posterior lobe occasionally developed a pair of posterolateral extensions, as do the labra. The position of the antennal insertion was located in front of the posterior lobe, displaying a similar topology to the Cambrian arthropods with the labrum. The hypostome was present in many artiopodans except for the Conciliterga, in which the anterior sclerite was separate from the labrum.