Trilobite Fossil (Elrathia kingii) from Millard Co, Utah

Description

Trilobite Fossil (Elrathia kingii) from Millard Co, Utah
This fossil was in a box of miscellaneous items our father collected over the years. The label attached to it shows its provenance.
At its longest points, the rock containing the fossil is about 3 1/2" x 2 3/8". The trilobite itself, at its longest points, is about 1" x 3/4".
The fossil is clear and distinct. You almost expect the critter to crawl off the rock and start scavenging for food.
Trilobites are extinct marine arthropods that form one of the earliest-known groups of arthropods. The first appearance of trilobites in the fossil record defines the base of the Atdabanian stage of the Early Cambrian period (521 million years ago) and they flourished throughout the lower Paleozoic before slipping into a long decline, when, during the Devonian, all trilobite orders except the Proetida died out. The last extant trilobites finally disappeared in the mass extinction at the end of the Permian about 252 million years ago. Trilobites were among the most successful of all early animals, existing in oceans for almost 270 million years, with over 20,000 species having been described.
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Our father was a bibliophile who collected rare books, letters, and ephemera for more than 60 years. For now and into the foreseeable future, we will be listing rare paper items from his estate.
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