Hundreds of millions of years ago, these critters dominated Earth’s oceans. This is a trilobite—a member of an incredibly diverse group of arthropods (relatives of modern-day lobsters) that lived during the Paleozoic Era. Trilobites are some of the most iconic Paleozoic creatures, and they are considered “index fossils” for the Paleozoic Era. Index fossils help scientists identify the age of the rocks where the fossils were found. Who knew a little arthropod from hundreds of millions of years ago would be so helpful to us today?
Watch this short video to learn more about trilobites!
