There sure are a lot of trilobite fossils around these days. A lot – for a type of animal that died out hundreds of millions of years ago. How are trilobite fossils formed so well?
Fossils take millions of years to form. The skeleton of the deceased organism goes through several stages until the fossil reaches the end product you can excavate (or, more easily, buy online) today. After the dead trilobite comes to rest on a rock, its outer shell spends millennia dissolving. This shell, or exoskeleton, is sometimes replaced with molecules of calcite or other minerals through a slow transformation that lasts several hundred centuries.
It can take a period of many millions of years, but the entire shell eventually dissolves. The trilobite skeleton blends into the rock, leaving a perfect impression of the animal that used to be.
Is this what people mean by the phrase "etched in stone?"
Trilobites are the most common type of fossil from the Cambrian Period. They're found in water as well as in areas that have large deposits of shale or limestone. Fossils usually consist of eyes, feet and outer shell, and some especially well-preserved specimens can feature soft body parts like antennae and legs. Rich deposits of trilobite fossils have been found in geographic locations as diverse as Morocco, western New York, China and Newfoundland.
Trilobite fossils are usually found in one of two basic types. The first consists of an entire skeleton or parts of the skeleton that are preserved on the face of a rock. The second type, often referred to as a trace fossil, consists of tracks made on the ocean floor. The tracks were made as the little creature traveled on its own little sedimentary highway.
Some have wondered why the discovery of trilobite fossils seems to be getting more frequent over time. it is even speculated that sloppy classification of fossils may inflate the number of fossils that exist.
To be fair, there were thousands of species of trilobites; that makes classification difficult for even the nerdiest experts. Plus, trilobites often appear with the fossils of other saltwater animals which undoubtedly blurs the picture a bit. It is downright difficult to disentangle the identity of all the fossilized remains.
Trilobites are related to crustaceans and you probably recognize the horseshoe crab in them when you look at a fossil. What may come as a surprise, though, is that trilobites are also relatives of spiders, scorpions and mites.
With classifications that include many thousands of trilobite species, crustaceans and arachnids, it is easy to see why the number of trilobite fossils appears to be increasing. As experts get better at the process of classification, they should be able to reduce the frequency of false identification of trilobite fossils.
As we mentioned, trilobite fossils are found in parts of the world that contain high concentrations of shale and limestone. In the United Kingdom and in western New York, limestone and shale quarries have yielded an especial abundance of trilobite fossils.
Other parts of the world where trilobite fossils are common include China, Germany, Newfoundland and Labrador. in Canada, British Columbia and Ontario are especially hospitable towards trilobites, and Morocco has famously produced some exceptionally well-preserved specimens.
Of course your best bet, if you don't feel like going digging yourself, is to look at online sales listings. A huge number of great specimens of all types can be found for sale at any given time. However you do it, good luck finding some great and varied trilobite fossils you can proudly display!
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trilobite
https://www.fossils-facts-and-finds.com/fossil_formation.html
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