Olenellus means small
Olenus, after a genus belonging to the
Ptychopariida, to which the type species
O. thompsoni was originally assigned. The name Olenus refers to a
mythological figure who was turned to stone by the gods. The names of the species have the following derivations. •
agellus comes from the
Latin word for field or hamlet. •
chiefensis refers to the
Chief Range, which includes the Ruin Wash section, that holds the last of the Olenellina. •
fowleri was named in honor of Ed Fowler, whose quarrying skills exposed the
type locality of this species. •
getzi is called after Noah L. Getz, on whose Lancaster estate several
Olenellus species were first collected. •
nevadensis refers to the state of
Nevada, where this species is found. •
parvofrontatus means ‘small front’ from the Latin words parvus and frontatus, indicating the short distance between the anterior border and the glabella in this species. •
roddyi was named in honor of Dr. H. Justin Roddy (1856-1943), an internationally known naturalist, curator and professor of geology. •
romensis refers to the
Rome Formation. •
terminatus is from the Latin terminus, meaning final, indicating the demise of the
Olenellus lineage. == Taxonomy ==