Fossil of Trilobite Hollardops Mesocristata

Fossil of Trilobite Hollardops Mesocristata resting on its matrix with perfectly preserved eyes. It has undergone only 3% restoration, so its natural state is spectacular.

Trilobites are a class of marine arthropods (like insects) that lived throughout the Paleozoic. They appeared during the Cambrian (-542 to -490 Ma) and disappeared during the Permian-Triassic crisis (-250 Ma ago) which marked the end of the Paleozoic era and the beginning of the Mesozoic era.
Like all arthropods, trilobites have a body divided into segments and covered with an exoskeleton composed of chitin. Chitin is a very strong and flexible molecule found in many living organisms, particularly arthropods. Articulated appendages allow them to move. The name trilobite comes from the fact that their body is divided into three parts. The cephalon corresponds to the head. The thorax is composed of numerous segments, each of which has a pair of articulated appendages. Finally, the pygidium corresponds to what can be called the tail of the trilobite.
The trilobites were overwhelmingly benthic animals, that is, they lived on the sea floor, probably in shallow environments teeming with life. They moved around using their articulated appendages.