By Joseph “PaleoJoe” Kchodl
One of the largest species of trilobite found in New York State, TRIMURUS delphinocephalus
is a prize in anyone’s collection. The digging of the Erie Canal in the 1800s produced some very interesting finds to the diggers.
The TRIMURUS has a heavy and thick exoskeleton. It has a roughly triangular shaped cephalon and pygidium. The cephalon is very smooth and has no genal spines.
Due to the size of this trilobite, it is often found slightly distorted due to the weight of overlying sediments. It is found in the Rochester Shale of Middleport, New York.
DID YOU KNOW: Trilobites, an extinct form of arthropod related to insects, crabs, crayfish, and horseshoe crabs, are among the most prevalent invertebrates with hard body parts to appear during the Cambrian Period. These creatures are called trilobite due to the three distinct “lobes” running vertically through the body section.
About the columnist: Joseph “PaleoJoe” Kchodl is a paleontologist, educator, veteran, author, fossil dig organizer/guide, business owner, husband, father, and grandfather, and fossil fanatic. For decades, he’s spent hours in classrooms around the Midwestern United States and beyond, speaking to school children about fossils and fossil hunting. Visit his site to purchase fossils, contact PaleoJoe, visit www.paleojoe.com.
Plus, learn more about PaleoJoe and his daughter PaleoJen and their paleontology exploration partnership in an the article “Fueling a Passion for Paleontology“.
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