The two, fully intact trilobite fossils were in excellent condition, but constituted contraband under Estonian law. For this reason they were seized at a border checkpoint during a routine inspection.

Paleontologist Karin Truuver told "Ringvaade": "The MTA found these trilobites during a routine check at the Koidula border checkpoint, hidden under food in a refrigerator in a truck."

"The driver couldn't explain where he had obtained them, and there were no purchase or discovery documents," Truuver went on.

"However, everything was resolved peacefully, and the man agreed to hand them over to the state," she added.

Trilobites are among the oldest arthropods in the world. "They first appeared in the early Cambrian period, over 500 million years ago, while different species of them lived for 300 million consecutive years," Truuver said.

Trilobites became extinct during the Permian mass extinction, which took place around 200 million years ago, Truuver added. "About 90 percent of all species on Earth died out at that time, and this was ultimately fatal for these wonderful little trilobites too."

What makes the confiscated fossils rare is their complete preservation – this also explains their confiscation, as complete fossils are barred by customs.

"Museum collections are thought to contain around 10,600 specimens, so trilobites are not exactly uncommon," Truuver went on.

"What makes a fossil rare is when it's a whole-body fossil, and there are far fewer of those," the paleontologist said.

For those hoping to legally find a trilobite for themselves, Truuver recommends searching on the islands and the north coast.

At the same time, the protection extends to complete fossils found in-country, meaning any discoveries should be reported to the Estonian Museum of Natural History (Eesti Loodusemuuseum).

Trilobites were marine animals of many different species, ranging in size from just a few millimeters long to nearly a meter in length.

"The smaller ones were faster swimmers, leading a predatory lifestyle, while the larger ones were slower and scurried along the sea floor in search of organic matter to feed on," Truuver said.

Trilobites have been found on every continent in the world, she added.

Due to the lack of documentation on their finding, the fossils the MTA discovered cannot be added to the natural history museum's collection either, though they can be on temporary display or used for educational purposes, Truuver added.

As for why people collect and trade in them, the obvious reasons – financial, some rarer varieties can reach prices into the thousands of euros – they also simply "look cool," the paleontologist went on.

"Some had spines on their backs or 'cheeks,' while others had eyes on the ends of stalks, a bit like snails do," Truuver said.

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