Trilobite Fossil - Elrathia Kingi

Trilobite Fossil - Elrathia Kingi

This trilobite is from the Cambrian Period and comes from the Wheeler Shale in Utah, USA. It is approximately 490 million years old, dating back to a time when early marine life was rapidly evolving in Earth’s ancient seas.

Approximate measurements

7.5cm x 6.5cm x 1.1cm

Trilobites were a highly diverse group of marine arthropods, now long extinct. They first appeared in the Early Cambrian (about 521 million years ago) and thrived until the Permian mass extinction (around 250 million years ago). With over 25,000 described species, trilobites were among the most successful early animals on Earth. Their hard exoskeletons have left behind one of the richest fossil records known to science.