Asaphiscus wheeleri-Utah

Taxa: Asaphiscus wheeleri

Age: Cambrian

Geology: Wheeler Shale

Locality: Millard County, Utah

Asaphiscus is an extinct genus of trilobites that lived during the Middle Cambrian period, approximately 513 to 497 million years ago. Trilobites are a group of early arthropods known for their distinctive three-lobed, three-segmented body plan. Asaphiscus trilobites were relatively small, usually around 2 to 4 inches (5 to 10 centimeters) long. They had a semi-circular cephalon (head), a well-defined thorax, and a pygidium (tail) that was generally smaller than the cephalon. Asaphiscus fossils are important for understanding the diversity and evolution of trilobites during the Cambrian explosion.