ARE THESE LIVING TRILOBITES?

ACCORDING TO THIS ARTICLE AND THE DEFINITION OF A TRILOBITE, THE APUS, HORSESHOE CRAB AND THIS NEW FIND (Bathynomus giganteus - above right) CLEARLY FALL INTO THE CATEGORY OF TRILOBITA.

THIS ARTICLE STATES THAT THE HORSESHOE CRAB IS THE NEAREST RELATIVE TO THE TRILOBITE. THIS NEW FIND APPEARS TO BE EVEN CLOSER YET. WHETHER THE SCIENCE COMMUNITY WILL CLASSIFY THIS CREATURE AS A LIVING TRILOBITE REMAINS TO BE SEEN.

BELOW ARE PICKLED "BATHYNOMUS GIGANTEUS" THAT USED TO BE ON DISPLAY IN THE MUSEUM OF NATURAL HISTORY IN LOS ANGELES CALIFORNIA. THESE CREATURES, ACCORDING TO TO THE PLACARD, LIVE IN GREAT ABUNDANCE ON THE DEEP OCEAN FLOOR BUT ARE RARELY SEEN. THEY ARE BELIEVED TO BE SCAVENGERS AND PREDATORS.

I HAVE A VIDEO, TAKEN FROM A DEEP SUBMERSIBLE SUBMARINE, SHOWING THESE CREATURES AGGRESSIVELY ATTACKING FISH AS THEY SWIM CLOSE TO THEM. THEY SHOOT UP FROM THE OCEAN FLOOR WITH AMAZING SPEED AND SEIZE THEIR PREY.



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