Trilobites

Trilobites, both in form and taxonomy, are in a class by themselves. They are an early example of Arthropods that date back to the Cambrian period (some 500 million years ago) and survive all the way until the great mass extinction which demarcates the end of the Permian period (approximately 250 million Years ago).

The class Trilobita was one of the most dominant forms of life on earth for literally millions of years. To date, no less than ten orders of Trilobita have been classified. At least 17,000 distinct species existed in the world’s oceans at one time or another, and more are being discovered every year.

One of the reasons for their great success was their ability to evolve into a variety of species which specialized in finding nourishment from many different sources, from scavenging to predation, from feeding on plankton and even to developing symbiotic relationships with other species. In addition, over time, more adaptive species of Trilobites developed thicker shells and were able to curl up more completely, both traits which helped defend themselves against more aggressive predators which appeared during the mid-Cambrian period.

As a result of their ubiquity and longevity, fossils of trilobites are found in many locations around the globe. Some of the most renowned sources for trilobite fossils are found in Canada, Germany, Great Britain, Morocco, Russia, as well as in the United States. Because they are plentiful and can be obtained at reasonable prices, trilobites are a wonderful entrée into the world of fossil collection.

They make wonderful cabinet displays for the novice collector who one or a few exemplars from this fascinating class from the Arthropoda Phylum. For the serious collector, however, this is surely one of the only (and undoubtedly one of the most economical!) ways to create a formidable fossil collection from a class found in the Animal kingdom which is completely extinct!

A word to the wise collector - always take careful note when collecting trilobites to see the method in which the specimens have been cleaned from their matrixes. An item may be considered of much lesser quality (and hence of much lower resale value) if sharp detail cannot be discerned on the body of the fossil.

The specimens you purchase should have fully intact antennae and clearly delineated segmentation to be worthy of your collection! We at …., of course, only deal in the finest of specimens of trilobites and only carry items we ourselves would be proud to display in our own homes.