Trilobite Arthropod Soft Stuffed Plush Toy

THE FOSSIL SUPERSTAR

❃ Trilobites were among the earliest and most successful groups of marine arthropods, first appearing more than 520 million years ago during the Cambrian Period. For nearly 270 million years, they inhabited oceans around the world, surviving multiple mass extinctions before finally disappearing at the end of the Permian Period. Scientists have identified more than 20,000 species, ranging from tiny forms just a few millimeters long to giants measuring over 2 feet (70 centimeters).

❃ Protected by a tough exoskeleton, many trilobites could curl themselves into a defensive ball when threatened—much like modern pill bugs. They occupied an incredible variety of ecological roles, with some crawling across the seafloor in search of food, others burrowing through sediment, and some likely swimming through open water. Trilobites were also among the earliest animals known to possess sophisticated compound eyes, with lenses made from the mineral calcite.

❃ Their name comes from the three longitudinal lobes running along their bodies: a raised central axis bordered by two side lobes. Because their hard exoskeletons fossilized remarkably well and were shed repeatedly as they grew, trilobites left behind one of the richest fossil records of any prehistoric animal. Today, their unmistakable fossils provide scientists with an extraordinary window into ancient oceans and have made trilobites enduring favorites among fossil collectors and prehistoric life enthusiasts.