A Case Study in Evolution – the Trilobites (Trilobita)

When Key Stage 3 students are being taught about genetics and evolution as part of the national curriculum for schools in England, it is important for teachers to set the work of Darwin, Wallace et al into context.  For example, natural selection within a species relies on variation existing within that species (a form of intra-specific competition).  Natural selection between two different species relies on variation between these species (an illustration of inter-specific competition).  This variation between species and from organisms within a single species means that some members of a particular species or some species as a whole will compete more successfully.

It is this competition that drives natural selection.

Environmental Changes

Changes in the environment may lead to some less well adapted individuals within a species to fail to reach maturity and breed.  Some entire species that are less well adapted to compete and reach maturity when compared to other species will fail to breed.  If they fail to breed, they cannot pass on their inherited characteristics to the next generation.  The inability to compete successfully may lead to population decline and ultimately extinction.

Why Did the Trilobites Become Extinct?

Trilobites galore – the Selenopeltis slab, but why did these arthropods become extinct.

Picture credit: Everything Dinosaur

Extension Activity

Introduce the class to trilobites, collect pictures and images of different types of trilobite fossil and depictions of them as living marine organisms.  Explore their senses (calcite eyes) and adaptations to a marine environment.  Consider the reasons for their success as a group, develop theories on why these once diverse, successful creatures became extinct.  More capable learners might be able to apply extinction theories to climate change issues happening today.

Trilobites

Trilobites were an extremely abundant and speciose group of Palaeozoic arthropods that evolved into a least ten different Orders.  The first trilobites evolved in the Early Cambrian (540 million years ago approximately), the last of the trilobites became extinct at the end of the Permian geological period nearly 300 million years  later.  These sea-living arthropods had a distinct, threefold, longitudinal division of the body and hard, calcified exoskeletons.  To grow, the external exoskeleton had to be moulted.

A Model of a Trilobite (Redlichia rex)

CollectA Redlichia rex trilobite model.

To view models of iconic prehistoric animals such as trilobites, belmenites, orthroceras and ammonites: Models of Iconic Prehistoric Animals.

The trilobites rapidly diversified and by the Early Ordovician period there were over sixty different families.  This number fell to around forty by the end of the Ordovician and despite spurts of adaptive radiation during the Silurian, Devonian and into the Carboniferous by the end of the Carboniferous period around 299 million years ago there were just four families left.  Two families of Trilobita survived until the late Permian before the Trilobita finally became extinct at the end of the Permian (mass extinction event).

What is the Family Classification?

In Linnaean Classification, there can be one or more closely related species in a genus.  These genera (plural) are then grouped together into closely related Families, then Orders, then Classes, Phyla, Kingdom and Domain.

For the Trilobita (H. spasskyi)

• Domain = Eukaryotes
• Kingdom = Animalia
• Phylum = Arthropoda
• Class = Trilobita
• Order = Harpetida
• Family = Harpetidae
• Genus = Harpes
• Species = Harpes spasskyi

Relate the study of trilobites to the importance of maintaining biological diversity and compare and contrast to current extinction issues seen today.

Visit the award-winning website of Everything Dinosaur: Everything Dinosaur.

Key Stage 1 Learn All About Dinosaurs

Pupils at St. Joseph and St. Bede R. C. Primary were certainly very enthusiastic as they explored dinosaurs and fossils with Everything Dinosaur.  The day was spent working with Key Stage 1 learning about fossils, what they are, how they feel and what they can tell us about animals and plants that lived in the past.  There was certainly a lot to see and do.  Indeed,  there were some amazing questions as well, hopefully we managed to get them all answered.   Mrs Ellison (class teacher), commented that one of children in her class had exclaimed as they returned to the classroom:

“That was awesome!  Everything Dinosaur let me touch and hold real fossils”.

Learn All About Dinosaurs

One of the things that we explained to Mrs Myerscough’s class (Year 2), was that dinosaurs hatched from eggs.  There is lots of fossil evidence to suggest that some dinosaurs were actually very caring and dedicated parents.  Dinosaurs made nests and even brooded their eggs to help keep them safe.  Once the babies had hatched, many different types of dinosaurs (even the fat ones Archie), took great care of their offspring, looking after them and bringing food to them whilst they stayed in the nests.  Fossil record evidence suggests that many dinosaurs looked after their offspring just as well as many types of birds do today.

A Feathered Dinosaur Protects One of its Brood

Mums and Dads with wings in the Ornithomimidae.

Picture Credit: Julius Csotonyi

We Have Lost Some Eggs

Trouble is, with so many fossils and other things to transport to and from the school, we seem to have lost some dinosaur eggs.  It had been our intention to show the children in Miss Lowe’s class the dinosaur eggs.  We wanted to explain to Mrs Ellison’s pupils what a dinosaur nest might have looked like. We were hoping that the children in Mrs Myerscough’s class would have been able to handle the eggs and compare them to the fossils, but now our eggs seem to have disappeared…

The person in charge of Everything Dinosaur, “Tyrannosaurus Sue” said:

“Oh dear, we are all very worried about our missing eggs, I have asked all the team members in the company to search for them in our warehouse.  I suppose you could say that I have sent them all off on a dinosaur egg hunt.  So far we have not been able to find them, I do hope our dinosaur eggs are going to be OK and that they are being looked after.”

Are the Missing Dinosaur Eggs with our Fossil Dinosaur Eggs?

Dinosaur eggs made from a balloon covered in paper mache.

Picture credit: Everything Dinosaur

Hope to Find the Eggs Soon

Hopefully, we will be able to find the dinosaur eggs soon.

To view the extensive range of educational, dinosaur themed items available from Everything Dinosaur: Everything Dinosaur – Dinosaur Toys and Gifts.