This is a fossilized brachiopod specimen called a Spinocyrtia lowensis Owen. Brachiopods are marine invertebrates with two shell valves hinged together and made of calcite. This invertebrate lived during the Devonian period, approximately 395 million years B.P.

Internet Resources: Here are some links which will get you started in your quest for knowledge. The Internet is growing at an astounding rate. This list does not include every Website on paleontology, only the best of the sites that we visited! Paleo/archaeo Adventure and Non-fiction Books Homepage at: http://www.paleobook.com The University of California's Museum of Paleontology Homepage at: http://www.ucmp.berkeley.edu/ noinline.html

Museum Loan Kits: A kit is available for the topic of paleontology. Specimens - Fossils Specimens - Sea Shells Kits can be checked out by Illinois School Teachers free of charge. For a complete list of kit topics please visit: educational loan kits For more information please contact Bob DeHoet at (618) 453-5388 or email him at: drhoet@siu.edu

Printed Resources: At this time, the Museum Explorers Library contains no books on paleontology. Please check back. Books in this special library can be checked out by Museum Explorer teachers free of charge. Please see our Museum Explorers Library Web page. The following is a list of printed materials about paleontology which may be available through your library: No materials available at this time. Please check back soon.

Previous Explorer Projects: This is a list of Museum Explorer Projects completed by teachers and students in the last three years. There are no previous school projects completed on paleontology. To view other school pages please visit our Museum Explorers School Pages.

This is a fossilized trilobite specimen of Elrathia kingi. Trilobites are marine animals, usually less than 10 cm in length, that crawled along the bottom in shallow water areas. This specimen lived during the Cambrian period approximately 500-570 million years B.P.