Trilobite colour

[Yoda]

Hi,

prob a newby question.  But while I was trawling on the net, I noticed that  Trilobites from different regions of the world are different colours.  

For eg:

Morocco - black

Russia - sandy brown

China - sandy brown

 

Is there a reason for this?

[Darktooth]

It depends on what minerals were present during fossilization.

[Kane]

Setting aside the more rarefied scenario of chromatophores, much of the colour of the trilobite is contingent upon the specific mineral replacement of where it was deposited. For example, pyritized trilobites speaks to anoxic conditions with a suitable availability of sulphides in the mud. 

[DeepTimeIsotopes]

A lot of it has to do with what minerals they were fossilized with and the environment where they died. Some are replaced with pyrite making them gold/brass colored, some hematite making them black, or even blue and green from chlorite in some.

[Yoda]

Thanks for the replies