Faithful trilobite

2003/09/19 Elhuyar Zientzia

• Biologia
• Paleontologia
• Arkeologia

They have found a very special fossil in Morocco. It is the fossil of a trilobite that lived 380 million years ago, but has very special characteristics: the eyes that appear to have two high columns. So far it has not been seen in fossil trilobites and has generated great curiosity among anthropologists. Erbenochile bees are called the species and believe that it lived in debonic times.

The trilobites are arthropods expired long ago. They lived in the sea and had eyes like antennas and insects. Thanks to them they played and saw what they had around. On the ground they moved from one finger to another, creeping, but they took refuge in the sea and on the ground, which lived with predatory fish.

Scientists believe that this trilobite discovered in Morocco would be very useful for these special eyes. In fact, the eyes were much higher than the other species of trilobites and reached a 360º view between them. This would surely help him to see distant predators. In addition, the eyes had a kind of visor on the top, which protected them from the excess of light coming from above.

Photo: Science.