Nov. 25, 2002 Molting, that periodic ritual in which arthropods
shed and replace their outer skeletons, can be a dangerous time
for the creatures. Just ask the trilobite. Research published by
a Michigan State University paleontologist suggests that an
inconsistent molting style, coupled with inefficient physiology,
contributed to the demise of these prehistoric relatives of
today's crabs and lobsters nearly 250 million years ago. "They
would shed their old exoskeleton any way they could," said
Danita Brandt, a faculty member in MSU's Department of
Geological Sciences whose findings were published in the
Australian paleontology journal Alcheringa. "They had to
improvise." On the other hand, today's modern arthropods molt
the very same way every time. The same suture opens every time,
letting the animal out. "When the same technique is used, there
is less of a chance that things will go wrong," she said.
"Molting is a very dangerous time for an arthropod. A lot of
things can go wrong." Brandt's proposed connec