Trilobites

This is my pet trilobite. His name is Teddy.

He’s been dead for probably around 400 million years, and I believe he’s a Devonian-aged specimen from Morocco (though I’m not entirely sure).

Back when he was alive, Teddy and his other trilobite friends were among the dominant Paleozoic fauna but finally went extinct during the End-Permian mass extinction.

Trilobites leave behind an extensive fossil record due not only to their diversification and geographic range but also thanks to their easily fossilized exoskeleton.

These ancient arthropods moved over the seafloor and predated or scavenged for food.

My friend Teddy here is about 8 cm in length, but trilobites could range in size from less than 3 mm to greater than 30 cm.