Cloud the Dinosaur King Posted February 12, 2018 Share Posted February 12, 2018 Hey, does anyone know what this is? I got it in my rock collection from a lady down the street. It was her dads and he had identified it as a trilobite from New York state, but I'm suspicious as to if it is actually a trilobite. I looked it up, but I couldn't find anything. It also doesn't appear to have legs, which I'm pretty sure that trilobites have legs. It looks like an anomalocarid to me. Does anyone know what this is? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
piranha Posted February 12, 2018 Share Posted February 12, 2018 It's not Anomalocaris, this is a classic Utah Middle Cambrian trilobite: Elrathia kingii 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
izak_ Posted February 12, 2018 Share Posted February 12, 2018 Its an Elrathia kingii trilobite. Most trilobites aren't preserved with legs. I don't think its from New York though, looks like its from Utah (U-Dig quarry?) beaten to it! haha Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
piranha Posted February 12, 2018 Share Posted February 12, 2018 1 minute ago, Foozil said: beaten to it! haha Sorry, I couldn't resist! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cloud the Dinosaur King Posted February 12, 2018 Author Share Posted February 12, 2018 Oh, okay. Pretty cool. I guess it lost its head shield. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
izak_ Posted February 12, 2018 Share Posted February 12, 2018 1 minute ago, piranha said: Sorry, I couldn't resist! lol no worries Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
erose Posted February 12, 2018 Share Posted February 12, 2018 5 minutes ago, Cloud the Dinosaur King said: Oh, okay. Pretty cool. I guess it lost its head shield. Not completely, just it's cheeks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Miocene_Mason Posted February 12, 2018 Share Posted February 12, 2018 Science term time! Just some extra info (not completely relevant) the head shield of a trilobite is called a cephalon and this one is missing its lateral border and librigenal field. You learn something new every day. 2 “...whilst this planet has gone cycling on according to the fixed law of gravity, from so simple a beginning endless forms most beautiful and most wonderful have been and are being evolved.” ~ Charles Darwin Happy hunting, Mason Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cloud the Dinosaur King Posted February 12, 2018 Author Share Posted February 12, 2018 I Am wondering why is has a bit of his lower left side missing. Is it predation or is it from when the collectors were trying to remove the matrix? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ynot Posted February 12, 2018 Share Posted February 12, 2018 10 minutes ago, Cloud the Dinosaur King said: I Am wondering why is has a bit of his lower left side missing. Is it predation or is it from when the collectors were trying to remove the matrix? The piece You have is a shed exoskeleton. There are some parts missing that were lost during the molt. Here is a whole one.... 2 Darwin said: " Man sprang from monkeys." Will Rogers said: " Some of them didn't spring far enough." My Fossil collection - My Mineral collection My favorite thread on TFF. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tidgy's Dad Posted February 12, 2018 Share Posted February 12, 2018 6 minutes ago, ynot said: The piece You have is a shed exoskeleton. There are some parts missing that were lost during the molt. Here is a whole one.... And i have some too! ! ! ! Life's Good! Tortoise Friend. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cloud the Dinosaur King Posted February 12, 2018 Author Share Posted February 12, 2018 1 hour ago, ynot said: The piece You have is a shed exoskeleton. There are some parts missing that were lost during the molt. Okay. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnBrewer Posted February 12, 2018 Share Posted February 12, 2018 Not too shabby example John Map of UK fossil sites Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kane Posted February 12, 2018 Share Posted February 12, 2018 23 hours ago, Cloud the Dinosaur King said: It also doesn't appear to have legs, which I'm pretty sure that trilobites have legs. Yes, trilobites had legs. However... It is very rare that legs and antennae of trilobites preserve. There are some very notable examples, such as the Burgess shales in BC, Canada; the Chengjiang Maiotianshan of China; Beecher's trilobite beds in New York; and Bundenbach in Germany. But these are remarkable exceptions, and certainly far from common. For further reference, please see this pinned topic: ...How to Philosophize with a Hammer Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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