Trilobites

• Kingdom: Animalia

• Phylum: Arthropoda

• Subphylum: Trilobitomorpha

• Class: Trilobita

• Trilobites first appeared during the Early Cambrian period around 526 MA all trilobite orders went extinct during the Devonian except for the order of Proetida which lasted until the end of the Permian about 250 MA

• Due to Trilobites high diversity and exoskeleton (which it shed periodically) there is extensive evidence of this class in the fossil record, we have found over 20,000 species making up 10 orders 150 families and 5,000 genera. They are mostly benthic organisms.

• Trilobites were solely marine animals with a feeding niche that varied from predator and filter feeder, to scavengers. Some are even believed to have had a symbiotic relationship with certain forms of bacteria

• Trilobites were an important prey item for many organisms such as Eurypterids, Nautiloids and Anomalocaris