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Prehistoric Life

How wide was Elrathia kingi?

An adult Elrathia kingi was about 2 cm (0.79 in) wide.

What is measured: adult trilobite, body width

Elrathia kingi (2 cm) drawn to scale beside a grain of rice (7 mm) and a large coin (2.4 cm)
Drawn to scale, from left to right: Grain of rice (7 mm), Elrathia kingi (2 cm) and Large coin (2.4 cm).

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How big is that, really?

  • A little smaller than a large coin
  • About 2.9× the length of a grain of rice
  • As wide as about 10 raindrops side by side
  • About 4 would fit end to end along a credit card
  • About 7 would fit end to end along a smartphone

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Facts about Elrathia kingi

Elrathia kingi is one of the most common trilobites in Utah's Cambrian Wheeler Formation.

Source: Utah Geological Survey, Elrathia kingi; Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History, Trilobites

Prehistoric Life

NameSizeCompared with Elrathia kingi
Elrathia kingi2 cm (0.79 in)this page
Marrella splendens2.5 cm (0.98 in)1.3×
Eldredgeops rana5 cm (1.97 in)2.5×
Pikaia gracilens5 cm (1.97 in)2.5×
Titanomyrma giganteum5 cm (1.97 in)2.5×
Tribrachidium heraldicum5 cm (1.97 in)2.5×
Cooksonia pertoni6.5 cm (2.56 in)3.3×
Ottoia prolifica8 cm (3.15 in)4×
Olenoides serratus10 cm (3.94 in)5×
Dickinsonia costata14 cm (5.51 in)7×

Test your sense of scale

Which is bigger: Elrathia kingi or Marrella splendens?

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