Enrolled Fossil -Trilobite Flexicalymene Ohio

Enrolled Fossil -Trilobite Flexicalymene Ohio
Date: Ordovician
Provenance: Cincinnatti, Ohio, USA
Size: 1.5 x 1.7 cm
Condition: The fossil has some good clear detail. code 5370

Trilobites were ancient marine arthropods that existed from the early Cambrian to the end of the Permian period, spanning approximately 270 million years. These fascinating creatures were characterized by their distinctive segmented bodies, typically divided into three lobes, from which they derive their name. Trilobites inhabited oceans worldwide and exhibited a remarkable diversity in size, shape, and lifestyle, ranging from a few millimetres to over two feet in length.

Their hard exoskeletons, composed of chitin and calcium carbonate, fossilized exceptionally well, making trilobites one of the most abundant and well-preserved groups of extinct organisms in the fossil record. Trilobite fossils provide valuable insights into ancient marine ecosystems and evolutionary biology, offering scientists clues about past environments, behaviours, and relationships with other organisms.

Trilobites occupied various ecological niches, serving as predators, scavengers, and filter feeders. They possessed sophisticated compound eyes, often with hundreds of lenses, and utilized a diverse array of feeding strategies. Some trilobites were adapted for burrowing in sediment, while others were free-swimming or crawled along the ocean floor.

Despite their extinction at the end of the Permian period, trilobites remain iconic symbols of ancient life, capturing the imagination of scientists and enthusiasts alike with their remarkable diversity and evolutionary significance. Today, trilobite fossils are prized possessions among collectors and serve as valuable tools for understanding the history of life on Earth.