A Guide to the Orders of Trilobites
From 2019 forward, the Trilobite of the Month will be posted in the Trilobites Group on Facebook. Look for detailed descriptions of these showcased trilobites at the start of each month. I end the monthly updates here with one of my favorites from the archives of nearly a decade of TOMs: Postikaolishania jingxiensis from China, a ceratopygid member of Order Asaphida, from the Furongian Series (Late Cambrian). I love its classic trilobite look, sharp pleural spines, graceful head shield, well-developed eyes, and the clearly differentiated central and paired lateral lobes that define "trilobite."
Images like this help explain why trilobites are one of the best-known and appreciated groups of prehistoric animals. Each month, a new example of trilobite diversity will be showcased here. With over 20,000 described species, we may never exhaust the possibilities! If you have a stunning image of a trilobite that you could share as a future "Trilobite of the Month," please let me know!
