Ohio

Alyssa Mendez
=Ohio- //Isotelus Maximus//=

__Description__
The state fossil for Ohio is known as //Isotelus//. The largest individual fossil was found to be"14.5" X "10.25". Isotelus is a species of the Trilobite, which were organisms with hard shells and segmented bodies. Other species related to Isotelus consists of lobster, shrimp, and scorpians. The extinct organism shed its shell so one individual may have produced several fossil remains.

__Picture__
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__Time Period__
The time period in which Isotelus was found was the Ordovican Period. The Ordovican Period occured 44 million years ago approximately and lasted for 488 to 444 million years. It consisted of mainly marine life. Majority of the world was covered in water.

__Preservation__
Currently Isotelus Maximus is at the Allen County Musuem in Lima, Ohio. However several exhibits of Isotelus are found within musuems all over Ohio.

__Who discovered it and why is it a state fossil__
John Locke had discovered Isotelus Maximus in 1837-1838. He had found many other segmented parts of Isotelus Maximus. He named it Isotelus Maximus due to its size. He later changed the name to Isotelus Megistos, however the scientific community widely recognized the name to be Isotelus Maximus. In 1985, two classes of third graders from Dayton, Ohio had visited the Dayton Musuem of Natural History and were informed how important the Isotelus was to the scientific community. They then wrote a letter to the Ohio State of Representatives, campaigning that the Isotelus Maximus to be considered the state fossil. A bill was later passed stating Isotelus as a general species is the state fossil(s). They did not verify Isotelus Maximus to be the state fossil, however it is the largest ever found.
 * Sources:**
 * Ohio Memory Collection. (2012) Isotelus Maximus. Retrieved from: []
 * Shrake, D.L (2005) Isotelus: Ohio's state Fossil. //Geo Facts: Ohio Department of Natural Resources. No.6, 1-2.// Retrived from:[]