©    TRILOBITES OF THE WHEELER SHALE






    37.5 Miles west of Delta Millard county, Utah in the House range (the gps coordinates are lat 39.354541 deg N and long -113.278509 deg W) lays the U dig trilobite fossil site and for a small hourly fee you can dig trilobites all day long. The area is easy to get to and the roads


can be traversed by any passenger car but beware the roads can be tricky in wet rainy weather. The trilobite fossils come from the Cambrian period in earth’s history 500 hundred millions years ago when western Utah was under the shallow Cambrian ocean. During that time period Utah was at the northern border of a continent called Laurenta. Because of the continents shifting due to plate tectonics







what is now western Utah was at one time the northern edge of the afore mentioned ancient continent Laurenta (later north America) . Present eastern Utah was mostly beach property then and western Utah was covered by a rather warm Shallow sea with a mass of life living at the bottom of this shallow sea. Trilobites , brachiopods, Anomalocaris the trilobite eater was the largest predator of its day. algae,


eocrinoids, jellyfish, sponges, annelid worms and phyllocarids made up most of the inhabitants of the sea bed. The trilobites and other ancient marine creatures are found in gray to black marine shale called Wheeler shale. This shale is easily split open using a hammer and



chisel revealing the trilobites and some time other fossils as well. This area is world famous for the type of ancient life forms found here. The trilobites from here are found in museums and rock shops all over the world. Most fossil trilobites are inexpensive but some







specimens sell for thousands of dollars more because they are so rare. Trilobites and other ancient marine life are also found in the Marjum formation, the wheeler shale is a contemporary of the famous Burgess shale of western Canada. The Spence shale of north central Utah near Cache valley is also a major producer of trilobite fossils. If you decide to go collecting trilobites be sure to take the right equipment to do the job. Take several different sizes of masonry or rock chisels; pry bars and rock hammers and safety glasses and a good pare of leather gloves as well. The desert provides no water so take plenty. Take plenty of food, snacks and sun screen. Take a hat broad brimmed is better. Be sure to fill up with gas before you leave Delta. And news paper to wrap your fossils in and a fairly large card board box for packing you fossils in. take folding chairs if you have them and a gardening pad to protect your knees you will be kneeling a lot. If your really interested in trilobites try to get a book by Brigham young university called (geology volume 28 part 1 some middle Cambrian fossils of Utah) before you go fossil hunting this will help you identify your fossils you find and make you trip more enjoyable. The Utah geological survey sells this book in there store. And finally try to visit the NORTH AMERICAN MUSEUM OF ANCIENT LIFE BEFORE YOU GO THIS WILL REALLY MAKE YOUR TRILOBITE SAFARI REALLY WORTH WHILE!!!!