BYTE MARKS
Trilobite site definitely worth a look

By Burt Lum

I'm regulary impressed by the dedication people exhibit toward their passions. It's even more interesting when the subjects of an obsession are seemingly unrelated to an obsessor's public persona.

I have become curious about what type of Web sites these active minds create. My case in point is a fellow named Sam Gon III.

People know him as a chanter (oli) and the director of science at the Nature Conservancy of Hawai'i. Gon also maintains Google's most highly ranked Web site on trilobites, of all things, at www.aloha.net/~smgon.

Last month we were both on Kaho'olawe for the Makahiki closing. When on Kaho'olawe, thoughts always converge on nature, from the olivine sand beaches to the native flora and fauna.

Gon tends to be a walking encyclopedia when it comes to all things natural. As it turns out, an interest in fossils, geology and biodiversity led Gon to create this site dedicated to understanding trilobites.

Trilobites existed during the Paleozoic Period and spanned geologic time from about 543 million to 248 million years ago. By the time the dinosaurs showed up during the Mesozoic period, the trilobites were extinct. Scientists refer to this massive extinction as the Permian-Triassic extinction or "the Great Dying" — not to be confused with the better-known Cretaceous-Tertiary extinction that signaled the end of the dinosaurs, 65 million years ago. Nevertheless, for trilobites to have existed for 300 million years is testament to their survival and adaptation.

Gon's site, "A Guide to the Order of Trilobites," details the anatomy and the diversity of this species. Sam provides intricate drawings of trilobites and differentiates between the morphologies.

The 15,000 described species of this class of arthropod makes it the most diverse group of extinct organisms. I was thoroughly impressed by the organization of the site and its attention to detail, as well as all the illustrations.

There is an incredible wealth of information here. The site stands out as a perfect example of passion and purpose. ;-)

Burt Lum is one click away at burt@brouhaha.net.