Members of Trilolab are involved in various projects in collaboration with palaeontological societies, researchers and private collectors; most of these last for several years. We drive educational activities and we conduct and publish scientific research, among other core and temporary initiatives. A limited selection of projects is presented below.
Ceratonurus janae from the Emsian part of the AbadÃa Formation in Polentinos
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Devonian trilobites from the Cantabrian MountainsA new systematic revision of Emsian trilobites from the Abadía Formation in the Polentinos area (Cantabrian Mountains, northern Spain) revisits classic localities following a multi-decade hiatus in the literature. Based on collections recovered since 2021, this research updates outdated classifications and introduces several new genera and species—including members of Acastidae, Odontopleuridae, Lichidae, Tropidocoryphidae, and Harpetidae. The findings highlight provincialism within the distal, low-energy Palentine domain.
The first part of this revision has been published: Viersen, A.P. van & Müller, P., 2026. Revised and new Emsian (Lower Devonian) trilobites from Polentinos, Cantabrian Mountains, northern Spain. Neues Jahrbuch für Geologie und Paläontologie, Abhandlungen, 318: 53-98. [ full-text ] |
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Trilobite preparation collective
High quality preparation is an indispensable asset to scientific research. Most commercial preparations are subject to economic logic: they are either fast but very low quality, or decent but very expensive.
Trilolab tries to encourage people to take up fossil preparation by providing practical and technical information, and by sharing best practices and inspiring preparation stories. At Trilolab, we prepare our own specimens for research. But we also build on a larger network of enthousiastic trilobite preparators, motivated to provide high-quality specimens for scientific research on a non-commercial basis. |
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Systematics of Devonian phacopid trilobites from western Europe and MoroccoPhacopids are arguably one of the most underrated groups of trilobites. For many decades Devonian diversity was largely attributed to a single genus, Phacops. Extensive splitting commenced in the 1970s, mainly by the German palaeontologist Wolfgang Struve. Opinions on the systematics of Phacops and similar taxa probably could not have diverged more widely since. The at times conservative morphology of phacopids poses major challenges to the recognition of phylogenetically informative characters. What is more is that many species in the old literature are in urgent need of revision. Establishing a solid taxonomic foundation is key to understanding the evolution of these trilobites in the closing Rheic Ocean during the Devonian.
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Devonian trilobite palaeobiogeography
Palaeobiogeography is eloquently defined as the scientific study of the geographic distribution of fossils. It is actually a fascinating aspect of our contemporary observations. How is it possible that we find very similar trilobite species in coeval strata in Belgium and Morocco whereas there is such a large distance between these countries nowadays? Knowing that Devonian trilobites, for instance, were obligate bottom dwellers of shallow waters there could not have been a deep ocean between these countries during that time. There are divergent opinions and different models that define what earth looked like throughout its history. Fossils can help to enhance these and this includes the trilobites.
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Scientific collection
By properly documenting and archiving our finds, we are gradually creating an invaluable collection of (mostly unprepared) in-situ collected specimens. This collection is supplemented by specimens purchased from reliable sources. This way, ongoing research can almost always be supported by additional material from our own collections.
All type specimens we describe are donated to collections in scientific institutes. |
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Fieldwork
It is paramount to document the precise origin of each find. Therefore, we try to collect in situ, i.e. directly from the layer in its original position, and to document each site, each section, each find. We can assist in fieldwork campaigns or coordinate search efforts in potential scientific interesting sections. Some examples:
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