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Narrative
Trilobites (Class Trilobita) are an extinct class of Arthropods. These animals had two longitudinal groves down their backs that divide their body into three divisions. They are among the earliest known fossil animals being found in the Lower Cambrian and were almost extinct by the Permian.
Although most trilobites were less than three inches in length, fossil species up to almost thirty inches are known.
Trilobites were marine animals and had a multiple segmented body. Some species could roll up into a ball. Trilobites distant relatives of the modern Class Crustacea.
Following is a summary of the various time zones with the earliest zones listed first. This table is based upon a time chart published by Encyclopaedia Britannica with modifications taken from The World of Dinosaurs by Banner Press and other sources.
The Pre-Cambrian era had very few fossils.
Paleozoic Era
Cambrian - Trilobites - 500 million years ago
Ordovician - First Fish - 400 million years ago
Silurian - Plants and Animals - 350 million years ago
Devonian - First Amphibians - 320 million years ago
Carboniferous - First Reptiles - 285 million years ago
Permian - Advanced Reptiles - 235 million years ago
Messianic Era
Triassic - First Dinosaurs - 190 to 225 million years ago
Jurassic - Advanced Dinosaurs
and First Birds - 136 to 190 million years ago
Cretaceous - Dinosaur Extinction - 64 to 136 million years ago
Cenozoic Era
Tertiary - First Mammals and
Flowering Plants - 64 million years ago
Taxonomy
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Latin
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English
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Kingdom
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Animalia
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Animal
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Phylum
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Arthropoda
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Jointed Legged Animals
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Class
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Trilobita
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Trilobites
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Order
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Family
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SubFamily
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References
| Title | Author | Comments |
| Audubon Society Field Guide to North American Insects and Spiders | Milne, Lorus and Margery | The 702 color illustrations of living specimens are excellent. Spiders, scorpions, and Insects are covered. With a good coverage of arthropods, this book should be in any library that is used for identification. The text also mentions related species. |
| Rare and Endangered Biota of Florida - Volume IV Invertebrates | Deyrup, Mark | This detailed work covers the mollusks and arthropods of Florida that are rare or endangered. Each species is described along with its range and habitat. Detailed disribution maps are also included. Almost 800 pages of detailed information make this a truly excellent work. |
| Freshwater Macroinvertebrates of Northeastern North America | Peckarsky, Barbara | This work serves as an excellent overview of the aquatic insects of north east North America. Also crustacea and Mollusks are included. They keys are useful for identification purposes. |
| Endangered Ones, The | Cox, James A. | A detailed analyses as of l975 of the various animals facing extinction. 220 pages of excellent information. |
| Larousse Encyclopedia of the Animal World | Various | This 640 page book covers the phyla in the animal kingdom, including a good survey of sponges, coelenterates, worms, misc. phyla, arthropods and chordates. With numerous pictures and diagrams, this work gives a good understanding of the taxonomy of the animal kingdom. The first half of the book covers the lower phyla, and the last half concentrates on the chordates. Numerous important species are described and pictured. |
| Fresh Water Invertebrates of the United States | Pennak, Robert W | This excellent reference covers numerous phylla from protozoa to mollusca found in fresh water in the United States. |
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