File #2723: "TftT Trilobites Brochure.pdf"
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The big, the small, and
everything in between
Trilobites were everywhere in the oceans
when they were alive, and they came in a
huge variety of shapes and sizes.
Scan the QR code to learn
more or visit “Tales from
the Table” at
https://msstateexhibits.libraryhost.com/exhibits/show/tftt
TALES
FROM THE TABLE!
SPOTLIGHT SPECIMEN
TRILOBITE
By Wilson44691 - Own work, CC0,
https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=45343773
Some trilobites could roll into a ball
like modern day pill bugs (roley polies).
The largest
trilobite was 28
inches (71 cm)
long. The
smallest
trilobite was
only the size of
a fleck of
pepper.
By Mike Beauregard from Nunavut, Canada - World's Largest TrilobiteUploaded
by FunkMonk, CC BY 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?
curid=11748997
Meet the trilobite!
Putting into perspective
Trilobites were alive during the Paleozoic Era, a time long before even the dinosaurs were alive.
Scientists use the geologic timescale to illustrate how long periods of Earth’s history were. Take a
look at the timescale--present day is at the top and the formation of the Earth is at the bottom.
Humans appeared on Earth 200,000 years ago.
The Cenozoic Era, 66 Million years ago -Today
The Cenozoic Era began after the dinosaurs went extinct.
This is when mammals became the dominant animals on
Earth.
By Vassil - Alias Collections., CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=3200496
Trilobites were some of the most
successful early animals. These oceandwelling creatures first appeared in the
fossil record 521 million years ago during
the Cambrian Period, and they lasted for
about 250 million years until they went
extinct at the end of the Permian Period
251 million years ago.
Trilobites’ closest living relatives are
the arthropods like horseshoe crabs
and lobsters.
Scientists have discovered over
20,000 trilobite species
Some trilobites were covered in large
spikes
Trilobites were very diverse--they lived
in deep and shallow water and were
predators, herbivores, scavengers, and
filter feeders.
The Mesozoic Era, 252-66 million years ago
The Mesozoic Era was the Age of Reptiles. Dinosaurs appeared
on Earth about 245 million years ago, and they lasted until an
asteroid hit Earth about 66 million years ago.
The Paleozoic Era, 541-252 million years ago
The Paleozoic Era was when life on Earth began to become
complex. This is when animals first made their way onto land.
This is when the trilobites lived.
The Pre-Cambrian, 4.5 billion years-541 million years ago
During the Pre-Cambrian, there was almost no life on Earth until
the very end of the Proterozoic Eon. And even then, the life on
Earth was mostly single-celled organisms.
everything in between
Trilobites were everywhere in the oceans
when they were alive, and they came in a
huge variety of shapes and sizes.
Scan the QR code to learn
more or visit “Tales from
the Table” at
https://msstateexhibits.libraryhost.com/exhibits/show/tftt
TALES
FROM THE TABLE!
SPOTLIGHT SPECIMEN
TRILOBITE
By Wilson44691 - Own work, CC0,
https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=45343773
Some trilobites could roll into a ball
like modern day pill bugs (roley polies).
The largest
trilobite was 28
inches (71 cm)
long. The
smallest
trilobite was
only the size of
a fleck of
pepper.
By Mike Beauregard from Nunavut, Canada - World's Largest TrilobiteUploaded
by FunkMonk, CC BY 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?
curid=11748997
Meet the trilobite!
Putting into perspective
Trilobites were alive during the Paleozoic Era, a time long before even the dinosaurs were alive.
Scientists use the geologic timescale to illustrate how long periods of Earth’s history were. Take a
look at the timescale--present day is at the top and the formation of the Earth is at the bottom.
Humans appeared on Earth 200,000 years ago.
The Cenozoic Era, 66 Million years ago -Today
The Cenozoic Era began after the dinosaurs went extinct.
This is when mammals became the dominant animals on
Earth.
By Vassil - Alias Collections., CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=3200496
Trilobites were some of the most
successful early animals. These oceandwelling creatures first appeared in the
fossil record 521 million years ago during
the Cambrian Period, and they lasted for
about 250 million years until they went
extinct at the end of the Permian Period
251 million years ago.
Trilobites’ closest living relatives are
the arthropods like horseshoe crabs
and lobsters.
Scientists have discovered over
20,000 trilobite species
Some trilobites were covered in large
spikes
Trilobites were very diverse--they lived
in deep and shallow water and were
predators, herbivores, scavengers, and
filter feeders.
The Mesozoic Era, 252-66 million years ago
The Mesozoic Era was the Age of Reptiles. Dinosaurs appeared
on Earth about 245 million years ago, and they lasted until an
asteroid hit Earth about 66 million years ago.
The Paleozoic Era, 541-252 million years ago
The Paleozoic Era was when life on Earth began to become
complex. This is when animals first made their way onto land.
This is when the trilobites lived.
The Pre-Cambrian, 4.5 billion years-541 million years ago
During the Pre-Cambrian, there was almost no life on Earth until
the very end of the Proterozoic Eon. And even then, the life on
Earth was mostly single-celled organisms.