News Paleontology

Stunning trilobite fossils include soft tissues never seen before

The discovery helps reveal the weird way trilobites ate and perhaps why they went extinct

A 3-D reconstruction of a trilobite

In this 3-D reconstruction of an immaculate trilobite fossil, Protolenus (Hupeolenus) sp., the digestive tract (blue) appears almost completely intact.

© Arnaud Mazurier/University of Poitiers

By Lucas Van Wyk Joel

Paleontologists studying rocks from Morocco have unearthed the most exquisitely preserved trilobite fossils yet discovered. The new lifelike fossils update our understanding of the evolution and biology of these extinct ocean-dwelling arthropods.

The details are so great that soft tissue parts of the trilobites, including the mouth and digestive tract, are clearly visible, researchers report June 27 in Science.