Trilobite - Dalmanites

myminifactory

Headshield of the Silurian trilobite Dalmanites, showcasing two compound eyes. Trilobites are a group of extinct marine arachnomorph arthropods that form the class Trilobita. They are one of the earliest-known groups of arthropods to have existed on Earth. The first appearance of trilobites in the fossil record marks the beginning of the Atdabanian stage of the Early Cambrian period, which dates back approximately 521 million years ago. These ancient creatures thrived throughout the lower Paleozoic era before gradually declining and eventually going extinct during the Devonian period, with all orders except the Proetids disappearing. The mass extinction event at the end of the Permian period around 252 million years ago brought an end to the trilobites' reign. Trilobites were among the most successful early animals, roaming the oceans for over 270 million years. By the time trilobites first appeared in the fossil record, they were already highly diversified and geographically dispersed across the globe. Their wide diversity and easily fossilized exoskeleton left behind a vast record of their existence, with around 17,000 known species spanning Paleozoic time. The study of these fossils has greatly contributed to our understanding of biostratigraphy, palaeontology, evolutionary biology, and plate tectonics. Trilobites exhibited various lifestyles; some moved across the sea bed as predators, scavengers, or filter feeders, while others swam, feeding on plankton. Most modern marine arthropod lifestyles are seen in trilobites, with parasitism being a possible exception due to ongoing scientific debate. Some trilobites, particularly those belonging to the family Olenidae, even formed symbiotic relationships with sulfur-eating bacteria from which they derived food. This object was scanned using a Canon 5DS R camera and a Stackshot 3x with turntable to capture 108 images, which were then processed using Agisoft Photoscan at medium levels.