Asaphid

/ˈæsəfɪd/ noun

Definition

Any trilobite of the order Asaphida, an extinct marine arthropod that lived hundreds of millions of years ago.

Etymology

From 'Asaphus,' a genus of trilobite, with the suffix '-id' indicating a member of that group. Named in the 18th century by paleontologists studying ancient fossils.

Kelly Says

Asaphid trilobites were so successful that they dominated ocean floors for millions of years, and you can find their fossilized remains everywhere from Pennsylvania to Australia—they're like the cockroaches of the Paleozoic era, except they've been extinct for 250 million years.

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