The Trilobite Collector's Guide

For more than 250 million years, the primeval oceans of the Paleozoic teemed with trilobites. These hardy invertebrates evolved into an astonishing array of separate species―more than 25,000 at last count―and much remains unknown about these once-ubiquitous creatures. Fossil enthusiasts are captivated by trilobites’ diversity and adaptability, enthralled by the possibility of catching a glimpse of a transcendently strange past.

Andy Secher―one of the most prolific trilobite collectors in the world―takes readers on an entertaining and enlightening journey to the distant epoch when these ancient arthropods swarmed through the seas. The Trilobite Collector’s Guide presents a series of “Top Ten” lists covering everything from celebrated Cambrian localities and world-class fossil shows to invaluable collecting tips and ways to spot a fake trilobite. These brisk and often witty chapters enumerate trilobites in all their beauty and strangeness, from the most common to the ridiculously rare, the outrageously old to the last in line. The Trilobite Collector’s Guide showcases more than 350 full-color photographs, mostly of stunning specimens from Secher’s personal collection, that put trilobites’ staggering variety and complexity on full display. Engaging and informative, this book lets readers see the world of trilobites as it’s never been seen before.

Andy Secher has been a field associate in paleontology at the American Museum of Natural History for more than two decades. He curates one of the world’s largest private trilobite collections. Secher is the author of Travels with Trilobites: Adventures in the Paleozoic (Columbia, 2022) and was the long-time editor of the rock music magazine Hit Parader.

Richard Fortey is the former head of fossil arthropod research at the Natural History Museum, London.

Melanie J. Hopkins is chair of the Division of Paleontology and curator in charge of fossil invertebrates at the American Museum of Natural History.