Triloblog

Trilobites at False Creek

2010-06-12T19:24:00.000-07:00

These casted cement trilobites are part of a public art installation on False Creek in Vancouver BC Canada. Humans continue to be fascinated by trilobites and are sometimes inspired to include them in recreational settings, as an inspiration for the soul and for imagination. They seem to remind us of the fleeting nature of life on Earth, as though entreating us to enjoy our short time on this planet spinning through time and space. No wonder artists create trilobites where none exist.

Amazing Olenoides!

2010-01-18T17:02:00.000-08:00

Presented here is a work of staggering detail and beauty, a meticulous tribute to the diversity of life that once thrived in Earth's oceans, hundreds of millions of years ago. This depiction of Olenoides serratus was brought into existence by human hands, though in aspect it looks as though it could be graphically rendered by computer.

Incredibly, this is not the work of someone trained as a paleontologist, though none can dispute Leif Beckmann's keen eye and amazing talent for reconstruction. Over the period of one year, a master was sculpted, cast in resin with silicon moulds, and painstakingly assembled and coloured. Leif's sculptural explorations have also lead him to tackle Ammonite reconstruction with amazing results. A look his photo stream on Flickr will reveal the incredible skill and extensive work involved in these works' fabrication. What other amazing creatures will be brought to life by this master? Only time will tell.

Jud Turner's Newest Trilobite

2009-06-10T18:52:00.000-07:00

Here's one of Jud Turner's latest trilobite-inspired creations, "Trilo-femoral-mechnicus". It is another beautiful example of one man's obsession with those mysterious creatures from deep time. Impressively, Jud takes our planet's ancient past and propells it into the future, and the result is both staggering and sublime.

More Trilobite Sculptors

2009-04-11T19:06:00.000-07:00

Trilobites' power as a tool for inspiration is on the increase, if the growing number of people creating their own trilobite effigies is any indication. More and more often, the visual pleasure of trilobites' architectural symmetry spreads into the lives and repertoires of artists of all ages.

For some artists, this work is serious business, while for others the creation of a trilobite is an act of exploration and play. What strange curiosity guides the human hand to revisit the vanished creatures from the depths of the seas of our ancient world?

Ernst Haekel at The Trilobite Show

2009-03-02T22:58:00.000-08:00

The beautiful trilobites of Ernst Haekel are the most recent addition to the increasingly amazing online exhibit called The Trilobite Show. This site is the collaborative curatorial effort of Michel Gagne and myself, both avid trilobite enthusiasts, and was created to showcase the most compelling trilobite images we've found or created. So for there are seven galleries of photos, sculptures, drawings and etchings from throughout the ages, and now the trilobites of Ernst Haekel, the German scientist, philosopher and artist featured previously at triloblog. His are some of the most stunning trilobite images ever created.

Triloblog and Jud Turner at Gagneint.com

2009-02-02T12:20:00.000-08:00

Triloblog and the art of Jud Turner have been featured at the website of my good friend Michel Gagne. Michel's article points to an additional feature of Jud's sculptures as part of The Trilobite Show, an ongoing collaboration between Michel and myself, showcasing some of the most compelling trilobite art and artists from the ages including the masterful etchings of Jaochim Barrande, and the incredible photography of Peter Cameron. The Trilobite Show is shaping up to be a truly stellar collection of trilobite imagery, and continues to develope it's unique character. Take some time to enjoy it!

Jud Turner's Cybernetic Trilobites

2009-01-30T17:34:00.001-08:00

I'm not the only one fascinated by trilobites, nor am I the only person ever to attempt to bring these long-extinct arthropods back from their world and into ours. Though it's doubtful that any one without a functioning time machine will ever see a living trilobite, people like Jud Turner are compelled to produce trilobites in effigy. As with all creative endeavours, the stimulus of the natural world becomes infused the artist's idiosyncrasies creating the synergy that is artistic expression. In Turner's case, paleontology melds with cybernetics and the steampunk aesthetic, resulting in compelling and beautiful monuments to our planet's past and future.

The symmetry and elegance of trilobite form is effortlessly amalgamated with iron's abrupt coarseness and durability and the results are stunning. Jud's combination of technological, paleontological and imaginative elements brings us a fresh take on sculptures of life from the ancient Earth.

Sometimes I Make Trilobites

2009-01-08T21:04:00.000-08:00

Okay, I confess, my personal interest in trilobites extends beyond passive observation. Sometimes I make trilobites of varying degrees of paleontological accuracy. The creation above was commissioned by my friend who wanted something that was not necessarily a representation of any actual trilobite fossil, so this is what I made for him.

I've also made some attempts at creating speculative visions of trilobites as they may have appeared while they were living millions of years ago, as well as enlarged versions of fossilized trilobites. Many of these sculptures form part of The Trilobite Show, an online exhibit created in collaboration between myself and multidisciplinary artist Michel Gagne.

Most of my sculptures are created using hand made wire armatures to give them structural support beyond that afforded by the polymers used in the sculpting process. The armatures inside the trilobites I've created are highly elaborate themselves, and some seem to have their own vitality.

These works can take anywhere from a three to seventy hours to complete, depending on their complexity and accuracy. So now you know the truth. Sometimes I make trilobites.

Antarctic Isopod

2008-11-17T19:49:00.000-08:00

Recently, my friend Willem returned from McMurdo Station in Antarctica, where he had been attaching cameras to seals in order to monitor their night time fishing habits, and he showed me this image he took of a Giant Isopod, glyptonotus antarcticus. Its superficial resemblence to a trilobite helps us to imagine what they may have looked like when they were living, millions of years ago. Willem said he thought of me immediately when he saw it, and I was very glad to have the opportunity to look at it, as well as many other images from his stay, including some great underwater footage of hunting seals.

Trilobite Stereography

2008-08-14T12:09:00.000-07:00

click on image for enlargement

These stereographic trilobite images are a recent and compelling addition to the Flickr Trilobites Pool, contributed to the group by Michael E. Johnston, aka fossilmike. If you cross your eyes carefully, allowing the two images to overlap, you can percieve the three dimensional effect these photos were designed to capture.

click on image for enlargement

These images allow an intimate glimpse of the amazing architecture of trilobite forms. The graceful curves, beautiful patterns and the incredible structural diversity of this amazing arthropod group are strikingly evident when viewed in three dimensions.

click on image for enlargement

These images were gathered from the Museum of Natural Science in Houston Texas.

Steampunk Trilobites

2008-08-09T17:43:00.000-07:00

The term "Steampunk" refers to a science fiction subgenre and its accompanying aesthetic. Characterized by the stories of H G Wells and Jules Verne, advanced technologies like computers or atomic energy appear in the Victorian era, itself a time of significant scientific advancement. Fields like Geology and Paleontology newly informed the public consciousness about concepts like evolution. Naturally, trilobites are a great symbol of the anachronistic and scientific spirit of steampunk, and they have begun to emerge in artworks celebrating the phenomena.

This beautiful Silver Clockwork and Trilobite Bracelet by Chaoticly Creative .com captures the often whimsical nature of steampunk. Devotees of the genre pride themselves on their creativity, and they seem compelled to create their own tecno-Victorian worlds, complete with accompanying costumes and jewelry. Sometimes, they even make their own steam powered robot trilobite!

Trilobite Hut

2008-05-23T11:42:00.000-07:00

The diversity of human creativity is as unpredictable as it is complex. People continue to find new ways to express their devotion to exploring and understanding the vanished world of the trilobite. One such example of unique artistic expression is the work on display at the Trilobite Hut; a showcase of the imaginative explorations of the invertebrate and paleontological realm by Laura Passow.

Using a Viking era technique of fabrication called naalbinding, trilobites and their contemporaries are brought to life once again. Extinct cephalopods, eurypterids, and primitive fish join the ranks of trilobites to evoke a vision of Earth's oceans from our distant past. These creations are a testament to a brilliant mind's continued fascination in our planet's inspiring prehistory.

Sam Gon's Works Featured at The Trilobite Show

2008-04-16T11:51:00.000-07:00

The beautiful and meticulously created trilobite drawings by Sam Gon (featured previously at this blog) are now showcased in The Trilobite Show, an ongoing celebration of the extinct paleoinvertebrates known as trilobites. His elegant works allow us to have an uncluttered view of trilobite morphology, free from the often confusing shadows and reflections found in photographs. His website, A Guide to the Orders of Trilobites, is the definitive informational trilobite resource.

Trilobite Imposter

2008-04-02T11:57:00.000-07:00

This trilobite mimic, a serolid isopod was among the specimens recovered after an eight week voyage through the Antarctic's Ross Sea, near New Zealand. Other captured species included a previously unknown cephalopod, strange fish, sea spiders and other invertebrates. Recent exploration of Antarctic waters reveals unsuspected diversity among the unusually large creatures found there. Scientists are continually baffled by their discoveries.

Paper Trilobites

2008-03-31T19:13:00.000-07:00

Not many of us possess the patience, skill and ingenuity of Sipho Mabona, a dexterous executor of the art known as Origami. His original designs capture the essence of the living subjects he choses to depict, and his recreation of the extinct trilobite Olenoides conveys equal vitality. Sipho has even allowed us to glimpse his creations in various stages of completion, showing us the incredible transformation from a flat sheet of paper to an impressive artwork. Despite the fact that this process is carefully documented, we are still left with a profound sense of mystery and delight when confronted with these creations' immense complexity. Sipho's devotion to his art form, and to recreating a vanished trilobite clearly show immense versatility, determination and talent.

Michel Gagne's Trilobites

2008-03-22T15:53:00.001-07:00

Few people on Earth express the endless creative vision and determination of artist Michel Gagne. His seemingly boundless imagination roams from alien galaxies to the world of the microcosmos, from the petri dish to the jungles of Madagascar, from the far future to the beginning of time itself. His fascination with the changing face of our planet has inspired a life long obsession with trilobites, culminating in the curation of The Trilobite Show.

The Trilobite Show is a celebration of humans' appreciation of the boundless diversity and incredible beauty of a vanished empire of strange aquatic invertebrates that ruled the ancient oceans. Contributions to the show range from photographic fossil reference and sculpture to Michel's imaginative and often abstract trilobite visions. Michel's trilobites have appeared in his books, in gallery shows and in private collections. In many ways, Michel's works reflect the incredible diversity and unflagging success of one of the most prolific and ubiquitous arthropod groups ever to have existed on this planet. His visions continue to inspire and delight anyone who comes in contact with this maverick artistic genius.

Trilobites by Ernst Haeckel

2008-02-04T11:22:00.000-08:00

Click to Enlarge

Ernst Haeckel was an Artist, Naturalist, Philosopher and Embryologist. He is perhaps best known as the originator of the theory that "Ontogeny recapitulates Phylogeny", which states that embryonic development mirrors the evolutionary development of an individual organism. Unfortunately, Haeckel did distort his data to back his theoretical claims, often embellishing illustrations to better suit the support of his ideas. Never the less, he did contribute the crucial concept of the interconnectivity of all elements of the natural universe, and also coined the term "ecology". He was an invertebrate zoologist who, despite errors which are now apparent in his theories, opened our eyes to the astonishing beauty of the often hidden forms of many creatures. As with many powerful ideas, his were subverted by racists and nationalists and used to support the concept of social Darwinism, a theory at odds with Symbiosis. Despite such controversies, his artistic works continue to inspire a deeper appreciation of biodiversity and natural beauty.

Toy Trilobites

2008-01-21T19:23:00.000-08:00

Recently, my girlfriend brought me a great toy trilobite from the Royal Ontario Museum. It came as part of a collection of Burgess Shale fauna replicas, based on research carried out by the museum's Paleontology Department in an effort to gain greater understanding of the creatures of the Cambrian ocean. The Burgess Shale is located in the mountains of British Columbia, and contains some of the best preserved Cambrian fossils in the world, prized for their incredible detail. They show remarkable preservation of even soft tissue, making them extremely valuable. We are able to see many structures that are normally destroyed before fossilization, including the legs, gills and antennae of the trilobite Olenoides serratus (below).

Also include are Wiwaxia; a sort of armored slug, Pikaia; an early chordate, Laggania; kind of a big, nasty sea-monkey, and Opabinia, a crazy, five-eyed creature with a mobile proboscis at the end of which is its presumed mouth. These creatures are just a small sample of the life from that ancient time of incredible biodiversity.

Mistreated Trilobite

2008-01-14T11:26:00.000-08:00

A poor trilobite is harassed by teenagers in this video,
clearly showing that some of us are a long way away from
true trilobite appreciation.... Kids these days!!!

The Strangest Trilobites

2008-01-06T17:15:00.000-08:00

Ceratarges, sculpted by Andrew Scott

When people think about trilobites, if they think about them at all, the mind will often conjure up an image of something half-way between a pill bug and a horseshoe crab. Generally speaking, many trilobites conform to this conceptualization, but, though trilobites usually adhere to this simple shape, there are some that are so sharply deviant as to seem utterly alien. This begins an examination of some of the most bizarre, and most intriguing trilobites ever to have been discovered. Their strange shapes are often suggestive of a discernible function of their once-living selves, but sometimes they inscrutably defy a simple explanation, and we are left with a lasting enigma.

Walliserops trifurcatus, photo by Peter Cameron

Did Walliserops trifurcatus use its elongated, fork-like frontal projection to dig for soft bodied prey on the sandy sea floor? It would seem possible, yet we are unable to be sure without any direct evidence. Could the same structure have been a defensive adaptation, or have been brandished in ritual combat to determine sexual preference or to establish territory? Without the ability to directly observe their behavior, or to determine which trilobites were male or female, we can never know. Perhaps this trilobite's trident performed a combination of these functions, but maybe it was used for some unknown purpose.

Dicranurus monstrosus, photo by Peter Cameron

The twisted, horn-like projections on the cephalon of the aptly named Dicranurus monstrosus add to this trilobite's monstrous character. Coupled with the spiny extensions that fringe this trilobite's body, they readily suggest that this creature would have been a difficult meal to enjoy without injury. In the Devonian strata, fossils of suspected trilobite predators like ammonites and fish are also found abundantly, which would corroborate speculation about the structures' defensive purpose. But, were these spines dislodged during an attack, to be regenerated with successive molts? Were they strong enough to remain attached while repelling predators? Were they meant to cause internal injury as a warning against eating others of that species? Were they poisonous? Can we know the answers to these questions? The strangest trilobites silently defy our inquisition.

Tribe of the Trilobite

2007-12-18T18:25:00.000-08:00

For some, the trilobite has a special significance that transcends scientific meaning; the trilobite has become part of their identity. This phenomena can manifest in a variety of intensities and modalities. It could be a trilobite tattoo that signifies much more than a passing interest in paleontology. It could also be said that the desire to transform the shells of modern arthropods into trilobite effigies means that for some, simply learning about trilobites is not enough. Clearly there are those of us that take their trilobite obsession to new levels.

Is there a single attribute of trilobites that is responsible for the generation of such compulsions? Perhaps not. It could be that the combination of characteristics such as incredible diversity, an almost unmatched endurabilty, and intense beauty stirs our thoughts and hearts, allowing humans to exercise and enjoy their greatest gift, creativity.

More Tribe of the Trilobite

Trilobite by Josh Frankel

2007-12-07T12:30:00.000-08:00

Artist Josh Frankel has created a beautiful comic. The subject is an informed speculation about the perils of a trilobite's daily life. Josh knows about"...the obsession with trilobites that so many of us have." He clearly wants to see more than fossils, and has worked hard to bring a bygone epoch to life.

Without words, he is able to take us back to the Cambrian oceans for a glimpse of the lives of some astonishingly alien looking creatures. Josh's speculations about these animals' behavior are purely imaginative, but are based on our understanding of fossil evidence and the habits of similarly structured, existing arthropods. These ancient animals' interactions cause the cascading events that propel the story.

These creatures lived in a world where the oceans teamed with life, but the continents were devoid of plants or animals. All of the action of this time took place in the thriving seas. Josh ran his ideas by Sam Gon III to test the plausibility of his hypotheses about the vanished world of the Cambrian ocean. His exploration of these fascinating ideas is certain to inspire readers. I'm sure that anyone with even a passing curiosity about trilobites and their contemporaries will savor every page of this gorgeous book; I know I did. Thanks Josh!

Triloblog Featured at A Guide to the Orders of Trilobites

2007-12-06T12:26:00.000-08:00

Triloblog is now listed on A Guide to the Orders of Trilobites' links page! It's really worth looking through this comprehensive site, especially if there's anything you want to know about trilobites. Thanks to that page's curator, Sam Gon III for adding this site to the list!

Trilobites By Sam Gon III

2007-11-28T21:20:00.000-08:00

Few efforts have been made to understand trilobites as successfully as those that lead to the creation of A Guide to the Orders of Trilobites, an immense and evolving online archive of information gathered together and synthesized by Sam Gon III.

To augment his understanding of modern biodiversity, he sought to learn more about biodiversity in ancient times. His ongoing work to understand all he could about trilobites' biology, morphology and orders created a resource referenced and enjoyed by many.

In order to clarify the sometimes confusing images in photographs, illustrations have been helpful to biologists and paleontologists seeking to understand structural relationships and differences among organisms. Careful observation and interpretation of ambiguous morphological aspects of biological attributes is essential to our comprehension of organisms' physicality.

For this purpose, Sam has created detailed images of many trilobite species. These drawings can aid our understanding, but also allow us to appreciate the extreme beauty and variety exhibited by trilobites. When faced with these images, it's difficult to imagine that our world's oceans were once filled with creatures of such alien designs for so many millions of years, but they were.

Many of these drawings have been posted online in a photo archive. Take some time and look closely at the amazing diversity and mind-boggling morphology of the vanished trilobites.

Paper Trilobites

2007-11-22T20:16:00.000-08:00

Trilobites have inspired humans to find new ways to comprehend and appreciate the amazing beauty of their forms. Some have chosen paint, but others have used paper to covey their compelling curiosity about these complex creatures. No one can contest the striking beauty of "Trilobite: Terataspis grandis" by Tiffany Miller. Her skillfully executed paper sculpture shows an in depth comprehension of her subject.

Playful exploration of the fossil world is possible with this do-it-yourself paper model from the Australian Geological Survey Association(above). Patience and precision are required to complete the complex folds needed to construct a paper trilobite such as the one below. It takes a devoted designer and enthusiastic creators to bring a life form from the ancient past into our world with just a single sheet of creased paper.

This paper mache trilobite is another playful example of our lasting fascination with these incredible arthropods, and our unceasing desire to bring their astonishing beauty into our lives.

A series of paper trilobite models is available for download allowing anyone to build more than twenty different types of trilobite and also a horseshoe crab. Why stop at only one of each type? Why not create a healthy swarm of paper trilobites?

World's Biggest Trilobite

2007-11-18T10:50:00.000-08:00

Isotelus rex, the biggest trilobite ever found, was discovered in northern Manitoba. It was over 70 cm long and it lived 445 million years ago, when much of North America was covered by shallow seas. The fossil represents a new species of the genus Isotelus, a group characterized by rounded features and a lack of protruding ornamentation. Most of the other Isotelus trilobites are much smaller than Isotelus rex, which is 30 cm longer than the largest trilobites previously discovered. The chart below, created by Sam Gon III, compares Isotelus rex with some of the other large trilobites, and a familiar object for scale reference.

Isotelus rex was one of the biggest arthropods that ever lived, with the same body length as Mike, the largest lobster ever recorded. Most of the other trilobites were between 3 and 10 cm long. Dr Graham Young said: "We have found a very unusual specimen that illustrates some of the diversity and weirdness of ancient life. A trilobite of this size really is an amazing discovery." Below is an artist's interperetation of how Isotelus Rex may have looked when alive.

Tribe of the Trilobite

2007-11-16T19:54:00.000-08:00

Sometimes, a trilobite obsession transcends mere appreciation and becomes an expression of devotion. Who, but the most ardent trilobitophiles would want to transform an everyday object into a shrine to those enigmatic arthropods? Who, but they, would take the time and effort to transform themselves into giant trilobites (above)?

In a world that seems to moving towards allowing greater individual expression, some have chosen to ornament their surroundings with trilobite imagery. Ken Duffy's art car, "Prius Torik", is an example of the lengths people will go to in order to show others how much they love trilobites. For them, trilobites embody the indomitable living spirit. A well placed trilobite can also communicate quirky surreality, and in the case of "The Trilobite Machine" (below), they seem to symbolize the hybridization of biology and technology. The juxtaposition of ancient fossilized trilobites with modern technological hardware speaks to humans' ongoing effort to understand the totality of Earth's temporal landscape.

Visions of the Trilobites' World

2007-11-13T21:59:00.000-08:00

For as long as we've known about the existence of trilobites, we've used our imagination to seek the only glimpses possible of their once living forms and the world they inhabited. This has lead to the creation of works of haunting beauty and surreality, as artists have used their talents to visualize our world as it was millions of years ago when the seas were ruled by trilobites. The dreamlike image above was created digitally by Karen Carr for The Royal Tyrrell Museum of Paleontology .

Earlier attempts to depict of the ancient sea floor and it's inhabitants show another artist's view of the world of the trilobite. Images like these have inspired the curious to delve even deeper into the vanished worlds of prehistory. Has anyone come close to correctly recreating the seas of the distant past? Until we devise a way to look into Earth's prehistory no one can be sure, but more efforts will be made to imagine life as it may have been, and maybe one vision will come close to revealing the ocean world as it really was.

Toy Trilobites

2007-11-12T14:40:00.001-08:00

Is our fascination with trilobites growing? Are more people being made aware of their presence in our planet's prehistory? It would seem to be so, if an emerging faction of trilobites in the toy market is any indication. Only a few years ago, there were few if any trilobite toys available for public consumption. Go back twenty years, and there were none. Now toys like Olenoides serratus (above) from the Primeval Predators toy set are here to entertain and elucidate!

Another bizarre offering is Trilomonk (above), the creation of Kathy Staico-Schorr. In this case a trilobite serves as the mount for a monkey holding a human skull. Other creations show a more accurate portrayal of trilobites as fossils (below).

Trilobites in Art and Design

2007-11-08T19:46:00.001-08:00

Trilobites, though long extinct, have continued to inspire artists and designers. Appreciation of their beautiful form has sparked many imaginations, from painters and sculptors, to architects and manufacturers. Even the home appliance industry has offered us a robotic vacuum cleaner that sports both name and design inspired by the trilobite.

What is it about these vanished arthropods that still captivates us, inspiring in some the desire to replicate aspects of their physicality? Part of the answer may lie in humans' innate appreciation of symmetry, and also repetition, two qualities that trilobites almost always possess. But the explanation is likely to be more complex, and deeply varied among individuals. For now we will dispense with explanations and simply examine a smorgasboard of trilobite inspired visions.

One of the most insane trilobite-inspired creations has to be I-Wei Huang's steam powered trilobite tank. He describes this as a last minute retooling of his damaged steam spider. It takes mad genius to turn the tragedy of a broken robot into a trilobite triumph. His trilobite tank won best in show at the 2006 Robogames.

This amazing architectural adornment was photographed in New York by gargoyle photographer Mark Williams. It and another were spotted during his photographic sojourns. Its creator remains unknown, but that creator's fascination with trilobites is still very tangible.

Even toy designers, in this case from Japan, have been compelled to create items that appeal to our natural curiosity about these strange and inspiringly beautiful creatures. The most amazing thing is the way we continue to find new ways to express our fascination with trilobites. This rubber stamp created by an artist in Australia is simply exquisite.

This computer model was created by Karla Z to simulate the presumed motion of trilobite ambulation. The diversity of the expression of our curiosity about trilobites continues to evolve and grow.

Living Trilobites?

2007-11-04T15:20:00.001-08:00

Photo by C. Gronau

Is is possible that any trilobites survived beyond the Permian extinction, 250 million years ago? Is there evidence of trilobites surviving in modern times? I think we can safely say no to both of those questions, but there are some modern creatures with compelling similarities to the vanished and ancient arthropod group known as trilobites.

The serolid isopod above is an amazing example of how contemporary creatures with lifestyles similar to the presumed lifestyles of trilobites can adapt a similar appearance. Though outwardly appearing to resemble a trilobite, this animal is actually a relative of crabs and lobsters. Isopods are extremely numerous and adaptable, living in virtually every marine environment, including the Antarctic and deep ocean. They also live under rocks and decaying plants on land.

The young of the Madagascar hissing cockroach is better able to forage through jungle leaf litter and hide from potential predators because of its flattened, trilobite-like form, but this creature is an insect. Another insect known as the trilobite beetle got its name for obvious reasons...

It's also easy to see the superficial resemblance of horseshoe crabs to trilobite fossils, and one would assume these creatures had close kinship, but the horseshoe crabs' lack of calcite lenses in their eyes, as well as other structural differences clearly places them in a group outside of trilobite orders.

Triops, or tadpole shrimp are crustaceans that share legs with similarly structured gills and gantobases (structures used for maceration and transportation of food) with those of trilobites.

Another group of polyplachophoran mollusks known as chitons have fooled beach combing observers into thinking they had stumbled upon fossilized or living trilobites.

It seems that many living creatures find the same benefits of protection and flexibility that served the ancient trilobites by exploiting variations of flattened, segmented armor.

Joachim Barrande

2007-10-27T17:08:00.000-07:00

Joachim Barrande's detailed etchings of trilobites were only part of his fixation. His observations of the Lower Paleozoic rocks of Bohemia recorded 10 years of analysis of over 35,000 species of graptolites, brachiopoda, mollusca, trilobites and fishes. An archive of his trilobite etchings is hosted by the Smithsonian Institute, and gives us a glimpse of his obsessive attention to detail.

He was no stranger to controversy, and was philosophically aligned with the catastrophists, and opposed the the ideas of Darwin, who favored a more gradual rate of evolutionary change. In his lifetime he issued more than 25 volumes of work as well as various papers about his discoveries and theories. Barrande died on October 5th, 1883. The Barrandov district of Prague was named in his honour. Take some time to enjoy the work of this near-forgotten master.

Trilobite Photos of Peter Cameron

2007-10-21T16:41:00.001-07:00

To many people, trilobites are creatures of astonishing beauty. These creatures' primitive appearance is deceptive, for they display an almost architectural intricacy when observed closely. One man who appreciates the myriad of trilobite forms is Peter Cameron. His photographs reveal a vision of diversity and complexity and intimate familiarity with not only trilobites, but the locations where they are found and the way they are brought to light by the workers that excavate their fossilized remains from solid rock.

As a geologist for an oil company, he is required to have extensive knowledge about the creatures whose remains are indicators of geologic time. As a photographer, Peter allows us to look at the subtle details of an astonishingly diverse group of arthropods that ruled the seas for longer than we can truly comprehend. His photographs are the current feature of The Trilobite Show, a site devoted to showcasing the works of those people whose passion for trilobites motivates their expression.

Salutations

2007-10-21T16:38:00.001-07:00

Welcome to Triloblog. This site is intended to be a celebration of an amazingly diverse and truly ancient group of creatures known as trilobites. Though they have been extinct for many millions of years, their preserved remains have excited humans since their discovery.

Here we will look into the phenomena created by our emerging understanding of what trilobites mean as symbols of deep time and amazing biological success. We will also examine their place in art and culture, hopefully gaining an understanding of why a creature that disappeared 250 million years ago can can have a profound effect on the human psyche.

Hopefully, you will enjoy the journey with us as we look at the lives and works of people who seek to understand and express their fascination those enigmatic visitors from the distant past.