Planktic trilobite larvae as a part of the trophic chain

Trilobite larvae played a crucial role in the Ordovician food chain. Lukáš Laibl (GLI CAS) with his colleagues from the University of Lausanne published a new study in which they showed that planktic larvae evolved in trilobites about 495 to 470 million years ago. These tiny stages then served as an intermediate link in the food chain for larger swimming organisms that could not directly feed on tiny planktic algae. The paper was published in Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology. A press release was also issued by the Czech Academy of Sciences.