Trilobites
Segmented Palaeozoic arthropods, found in older Welsh and northern rocks.
Cambrian to Permian. · Experienced to find
What is it?
Trilobites were marine arthropods that lived from the Cambrian to the end of the Permian. Britain's trilobite localities lie in the older Palaeozoic rocks of Wales, the Welsh Borders, the Lake District and parts of Scotland rather than on the popular Jurassic coasts.
What does it look like?
An oval, three-lobed body divided lengthways and across into segments, with a semicircular head shield. Most British specimens are a few centimetres long and often found as fragments of head or tail.
How to identify it
- 01Look for repeated ribbed segments in a symmetrical oval outline.
- 02Fragments are far commoner than whole animals — a curved, ribbed tail shield is a good first find.
- 03Search scree and loose shale rather than hammering exposures, especially on designated geological sites.
Where to find trilobites in the UK
No locations in the database currently record trilobites.