Trilobite tridents: A model of lift, drag and stability for queue formation

Abstract

The trident like cephalic projections of Walliserops trifurcatus have been interpreted as sexually selected weapons for intraspecific combat. We evaluate one possible, alternative hypothesis grounded in biomechanics and collective behaviour: that tridents contributed to hydrodynamic lift and queue stability, thereby conferring energetic and mechanical advantages during group locomotion. Under this hypothesis, lift could offset gravitational forces, enabling greater locomotor efficiency, while mechanically linked formations, where tridents rested on the pygidia of leading individuals, enhanced pitch and roll stability and minimized costly accelerations and collisions. These formations may also have facilitated hydrodynamic drafting, which preceded trident evolution, allowing weaker individuals to conserve energy and remain integrated within the group.

35 pages, 8 figures