TRILOBITES

                          What are TRILOBITES???

Trilobites were remarkable hard-shelled, segmented creatures that existed over 300 million years ago in the earth’s ancient seas. They became extinct before dinosaurs even came into existence and are one of the most important creatures of the Palaeozoic age.  Though the biggest of the trilobites was about 18 inches long, they were the largest creatures in the Cambrian seas- in fact, the Cambrian period is known as the age of the trilobites.

The trilobites were arthropods, and were distantly related to crabs. Their bodies were divided lengthwise into three lobes or segments, and covered with a though armoured skin. They moved about at the bottom of the sea using limbs that projected from each segment of their bodies.

Some trilobites crawled along the sea floor, some swan, and others drifted with ocean currents. The different trilobite’s species probably had different diets. Some were herbivores and ate only plants, some were scavengers, and ate carrion. When they sensed danger, they would roll up into a ball, or burrow into the sea floor.

Trilobites are special because their fossils are useful for dating rocks, since they can be found in rocks of all ages all over the world.