Where can I find trilobite fossils?

Their fossilized remains are found in the rugged mountains of western Canada, the rolling plains of eastern Europe, the scorching deserts of northern Africa and the verdant hills of southern China. Indeed, trilobites can be discovered on every continent on earth where Paleozoic outcroppings exist.

Is a trilobite fossil rare?

Trilobites could roll up into a ball for protection by bending the thorax and bringing the tail underneath the head. Complete trilobite skeletons are relatively rare, and were probably preserved when the sea floor was buried by mud during major storms.

How does the trilobite help you identify the other fossils?

trilobite, any member of a group of extinct fossil arthropods easily recognized by their distinctive three-lobed, three-segmented form. Trilobites, exclusively marine animals, first appeared at the beginning of the Cambrian Period, about 542 million years ago, when they dominated the seas.

Where can fossils be found?

sedimentary rocks
Fossils are mostly found where sedimentary rocks of the right age are exposed, such as river valleys, cliffs and hillsides, and human-made exposures such as quarries and road cuttings.

How many trilobites exist today?

There is a bewildering amount of Trilobite species. Best estimates put this number to over 20,000 species. Trilobites are one of the most successful animals to live on Earth.

What rock layer are trilobites found on?

limestone shale
The fossils are found in a limestone shale. This shale splits easily into flat sheets, revealing the trilobite fossils. Fossilized trilobites lay nearly flat along the splitting planes of the shale.

Are there any living trilobites?

Trilobites have been extinct since before the age of Dinosaurs (about 251 million years ago), but some living creatures bear such close superficial resemblance to trilobites that they cause great excitement when encountered. Alas, no living trilobite has ever truly been documented.

How do you identify trilobites?

Physical Appearance: They all have the same basic design, three lobes: a left pleural lobe, a middle axial lobe, and a right pleural lobe. They are also divided into a Cephalon (Head), Thorax (Middle), and Pygydium (Tail). Trilobites had a thick exoskeleton for protection.

How can I get a fossil?

Look for fossils in sedimentary rock, including sandstone, limestone and shale, preferably where the earth has been cleaved by road cuts, construction sites, rivers or streams. Identify hunting grounds by consulting geologic maps and paleontology websites like myFossil.

Where can fossils be found for kids?

Most fossils are found in earth that once lay underwater. They usually formed from the hard parts—such as shells or bones—of living things. After a living thing died, it sank to the bottom of the sea. Layers of earth and the remains of other living things built up on top of it.