A trilobite is an extinct animal. The name comes from a Latin scientific word that refers to the existence of “three wolves”.
Trilobites are arthropods, that is, invertebrates whose body is bilaterally symmetrical, composed of linear segments and protected by a cuticle. Also, arthropods have appendages as artifacts. In the specific case of trilobites, their body, segmented into three zones, is oval in shape and crossed by two grooves. These animals lived in the Paleozoic era, having the sea as their habitat.
It is estimated that the existence of trilobites spanned about 300 million years, between the Cambrian and the late Permian. This means that when the dinosaurs appeared, the trilobites were already extinct. It is important to remember that there is not a single type of trilobite, but a class with eight orders, more than a hundred families and about 5,000 species. Scientists know these animals well, as their fossil remains have been found in petrified sediments of ancient seas on all continents. This variety of trilobites can be seen in the multitude of sizes of the fossilized specimens. It is estimated that while some trilobites did not exceed 50 centimeters, others could reach several meters. As for the extinction of the trilobites, it is estimated that it was abrupt, possibly caused by the appearance of new carnivorous animals and the sharp drop in temperature.
