Trilobites

fossils · ocean · arthropods · extinct

Ancient ocean dwellers. Trilobites lived in Earth's oceans long before dinosaurs, appearing in the fossil record as one of the earliest kinds of arthropods ever.

Super successful survivors. These creatures were so good at living in the ocean that they stuck around for almost 270 million years, which is longer than dinosaurs lasted.

Thousands of species. Scientists have discovered and named over 22,000 different kinds of trilobites, making them one of the most varied early animal groups.

Three-part bodies. The name trilobite comes from their three-part design: a head section, a middle section with segments, and a tail section that all had hard protective shells.

Completely gone now. Every single trilobite vanished from Earth millions of years ago, but we know all about them from the fossils they left behind in rocks.