Megistaspis elongata – that is the name of this trilobite. In ancient times, there were thousands of species of trilobites. They became extinct between 299 and 252 million years ago. This one was found by W.C. Brøgger in 1880 at Slemmestad in Asker.
Fossils in the Oslo field
At Slemmestad, where Brøgger found this trilobite, there are large numbers of fossils. The area is part of what geologists call the Oslo field, which stretches from Langesund in the south to Mjøsa in the north. The Oslo field can tell us a lot about a time hundreds of millions of years before humans appeared on the scene.
“Let there be light” versus evolution
In 1859, Charles Darwin published his book On the Origin of Species, in which he introduced his theory of evolution. He “proved” that humans had evolved from animals. However, many believed in the biblical account of creation and would not accept such a theory. This included W.C. Brøgger, who used the fossils that he found to back up his argument.
Mystical, mythical creatures
Until Charles Darwin published On the Origin of Species, fossils of extinct species were believed to be the remains of mythical creatures. The Jesuit monk Nikolaus Steno was one of the first to demonstrate that fossils were the remains of former forms of life. His explanation was that they were the remains of animals that died in the Flood.
Chosen by Franziska, museum staff (37)
On loan from the Natural History Museum, University of Oslo