Elrathia kingii trilobites lived in ancient oceans during the Cambrian Period over 500 million years ago. They grew to an average length of one inch and scavenged the ocean floor.
They could survive in low oxygen environments called the “exareobic zone”—lower than where most living things could survive. This may be why Elrathia are preserved in such vast numbers, as poor oxygen environments are more favorable for fossilization.
Elrathia is named after the town of Elrath in Alabama where its fossil was first found.
Type: Trilobite Species: Elrathia kingii Age: Cambrian (540 million years old) Formation: Wheeler Shale Locality: Utah
Size of Matrix: 3.38 x 2.25 x .5 inches Size of Specimen: .81 x .63 Weight: 3.4 oz.
