title: A moment from before 365 Ma frozen in time and space.
abstract: This study presents a detailed analysis of an exceptionally well-preserved articulated specimen of the trilobite Trimerocephalus from the Late Devonian of the Holy Cross Mountains in Poland. X-ray microtomography reveals the oldest direct evidence for a moulting episode known from the fossil record. The process of moulting as well as associated features observed in the investigated specimen are interpreted by comparison with extinct and extant Xiphosurida arthropods, which survived global P/T extinction and are among the closest extant relatives of trilobites. A very special moment frozen in time and space millions years ago provides rare insights into the behavior and physiology of these long-extinct arthropods.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Paleobiology, Polish Academy of Sciences, Twarda 51/55, 00-818 Warszawa, Poland.
authors.forename: Błażej
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Błażejowski
authors.affiliation: Association of Polish Climatologists, Krakowskie Przedmieście 30, 00-927 Warszawa, Poland.
authors.forename: Piotr
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Gieszcz
authors.affiliation: Department of Geology, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, Ohio, USA, 45221-0013.
authors.forename: Carlton E
authors.initials: CE
authors.lastname: Brett
authors.affiliation: Department of Computer Science and Materials Science, University of Silesia, Katowice, Poland.
authors.forename: Marcin
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Binkowski
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001181:Arthropods; D005580:Fossils; D011044:Poland