Download August Fossil of The Month Trilobite

August Fossil of The Month
Trilobite
Trilobite, meaning three-lob, are extinct marine arthropods (same phylum as
insects). They are one of the earliest known arthrpods. We first find them in the
Early Cambrian period, that over 500 million years ago!
They are found
throughout the Paleozoic era and began to decline during the Devonian. The
appear to have all become extinct about 250 million years ago. They were
however, just about the most successful of all the early animals during their reign.
There are several types of trilobites and they were geographically dispersed.
Because trilobites had wide diversity and were easily fossilized due to their
exoskeleton, there is a log of fossils to be found. It is estimated that over 17,000
species existed throughout time.
Some trilobites appear to have been predators, some scavenger, some filter
feeders - they did just about everything that marine arthropods do today!