Trilobites: Ohio’s state fossil.
Did you know trilobites are the Ohio state fossil? You might think this is strange as marine environments do not exist in Ohio today, but 455 million years ago, Ohio was covered with a shallow sea that housed many types of Trilobites.
Calymene first appeared over 520 million years ago during the Early Cambrian Period and went extinct during the Permian Period, about 250 million years ago. They were a diverse group of marine arthropods with over 25,000 different species. The biggest species measured 28 inches and the smallest measured less than a millimeter. Since trilobites regularly shed their exoskeletons (shells) during the molting process, they left an extensive fossil record on every continent. The Native American people of the Ute tribe have long gathered and carried trilobite fossils as amulets (protective charms). They call them Timpe-Konitza-Pachuee, which means "little water bug living in a house of stone".
Calymene first appeared over 520 million years ago during the Early Cambrian Period and went extinct during the Permian Period, about 250 million years ago. They were a diverse group of marine arthropods with over 25,000 different species. The biggest species measured 28 inches and the smallest measured less than a millimeter. Since trilobites regularly shed their exoskeletons (shells) during the molting process, they left an extensive fossil record on every continent. The Native American people of the Ute tribe have long gathered and carried trilobite fossils as amulets (protective charms). They call them Timpe-Konitza-Pachuee, which means "little water bug living in a house of stone".