Trilobite - Tapinocalymene

myminifactory

Trilobites are an extinct group of marine arachnomorph arthropods that form the class Trilobita. They represent 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, dating back 521 million years ago. These ancient creatures thrived throughout the lower Paleozoic era before facing a gradual decline towards extinction during the Devonian period. Trilobite orders except the Proetids eventually died out, and they disappeared in the mass extinction event that marked the end of the Permian period around 252 million years ago. The trilobites had an impressive reign as one of 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 various ecosystems. Their wide diversity and easily fossilized exoskeleton allowed them to leave behind a comprehensive fossil record, with approximately 17,000 known species spanning Paleozoic time. The study of these fossils has contributed significantly to biostratigraphy, palaeontology, evolutionary biology, and plate tectonics. Trilobites exhibited a range of lifestyles; some moved across the sea floor as predators, scavengers, or filter feeders, while others swam through the water, feeding on plankton. Most of the lifestyles expected of modern marine arthropods can be seen in trilobites, with the possible exception of parasitism, which remains a topic of scientific debate. Some trilobite species, particularly those belonging to the family Olenidae, are thought to have developed a symbiotic relationship with sulfur-eating bacteria from which they derived sustenance. This object is scanned by fossils in Shropshire.