Elrathia kingii Trilobite with Preserved Bite Marks
"Twice Bitten"

Coming from the Cambrian Wheeler Formation deposits of Millard County Utah this is a detailed example of the trilobite Elrathia kingii. These trilobites are often found with disarticulated or missing free cheeks. This fine example is well-articulated, with a dark black exoskeleton which contrasts well with the beige shale matrix which derives its color from its high organic content. What makes this even more rare is the fact a section of the left and right pleural lobes is missing, the result of the trilobite’s being bitten, presumably by an Anomalocaris. Interestingly, these bites are typically found on the right side of the trilobite, indicating some preferred attack mode by the terror of the Cambrian. This one was doubly unlucky in that it appears to have been bitten on TWO occasions. The right lobe shows more evidence of regeneration in the pleural lobes, indicative of the fact that it survived the first attack, only to succumb when lightning stuck again.