AN AMERICAN TRILOBITE

AN AMERICAN TRILOBITE

Asaphiscus wheeleri

Cambrian

Wheeler Formation, Millard County, Utah, USA

A fine, well-articulated specimen, which a dark black exoskeleton in a light tan shale matrix. Specimen: 4.5 cm in length, matrix: 9 x 7.5 cm

Hailing from the Cambrian Wheeler Formation deposits in Millard County, Utah, these trilobites are most frequently found disarticulated and missing their free cheeks.

Trilobites are a class of marine arachnomorph arthropods that inhabited the seas during the Paleozoic Era, from the Cambrian through the Permien period. They existed in oceans for over 300 million years, with last of them disappearing during the mass extinction at the end of the Permien period, 250 million years ago —making them one of the most successful species to ever live. With its multitude of spines, this trilobite has the appearance of an alien creature, making it hard to imagine that they once inhabited our planet in multitudes.