New fossilized trilobite reveals diet and lifestyle secrets, shedding light on ancient arthropods

Scientists have discovered a fossilized trilobite that provides insight into what these woodlouse-like marine animals ate. The high-resolution 3-D scan of the fossil revealed that the trilobite consumed shell fragments, bits of sea urchin-like creatures, and other bottom-dwellers. This finding is significant as it offers the first direct evidence of the diet and lifestyle of trilobites, a primal and iconic group of arthropods. The fossil was first uncovered near Prague over 100 years ago, and the preserved gut contents shed light on trilobite palaeophysiology. This discovery was reported in a research paper published in Nature.