.97" Enrolled Trilobite (Anataphrus) Fossil - Iowa

Enrolled Trilobite (Anataphrus) Fossil - Iowa #136601

This is an enrolled Anataphrus vigilans from the Maquoketa Formation of Iowa. This formation has never been heavily collected, and complete trilobites are fairly scarce. This roller is a little beauty. Both eyes have undergone repair and restoration and there are spots of chipping and restoration to the distal segments and tail.

Trilobites were a very diverse group of extinct marine arthropods. They first appeared in the fossil record in the Early Cambrian (521 million years ago) and went extinct during the Permian mass extinction (250 million years ago). They were one of the most successful of the early animals on our planet: over 25,000 species have been described, filling nearly every evolutionary niche. Due in large part to their hard exoskeletons (shells), they left an excellent fossil record.

More About Trilobites

SPECIES

Anataphrus vigilans

AGE

Ordovician

LOCATION

Fayette County, Iowa

FORMATION

Maquoketa Formation

SIZE

.97" wide

.97" Enrolled Trilobite (Anataphrus) Fossil - Iowa

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