The Existence of Trilobites

Beginning in the 18th century, the concept of paleontology was established and was further developed in the 19th century. Paleontology is the study of prehistoric life, including organisms’ evolution and interactions with each other and the environment around them. It’s also the study of past fossil records of past geological periods and relationships between ancient and modern day species. Although it is a field of biology, it has also been associated with geology because of the attempt to learn about the Earth itself, not just its organisms. This field tries to explain causes rather than observing effects by conducting experiments. The use of paleontology was and still is an extremely important aspect in identifying organisms from the Paleozoic Era, a time period in which extinction and evolution collided with each other, helping to shape the biological world we know today.

The Paleozoic Era began about 542 million years ago and lasted for about 291 million years. It was divided into six parts known as the Cambrian, Ordovician, Silurian, Devonian, Carboniferous, and Permian. The oldest subdivision of the Paleozoic Era was the Cambrian period, which is also important to paleontologists because the rocks from this time are rich in fossils. During this period, evolution hit its peak, and for about 40 million years animal body plans were rapidly changing (Williams et al, 2007). Because of the sudden explosion of diversity during this period, it is sometimes referred to as the Cambrian radiation or Cambrian explosion. Many of the species that existed during this time period were marine organisms, mainly because at the beginning of the Cambrian period, life was entirely confined to the oceans. The evolution during this time period is...

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...ndred million years, the remnants left behind by them tell paleontologists today a lot about the way they lived and how they adapted. With the understanding and capability to delve deeper into the meaning of a fossil, paleontologists can now attempt to unravel the unknown from past time periods. The ability to examine a fossil using calcite remains and DNA has improved throughout history due to our advances in technology and the knowledge gained from past discoveries. Conclusions can finally be drawn and proved about the existence of trilobites. What we know today about trilobites is published throughout the world, revealing their lifestyles, eating and reproduction patterns, relatives to this species, and how they managed to adapt to the environment around them. The mystery of the trilobite has finally filled a missing chapter in the novel to the Earth’s history.