Isotelus, genus of trilobites (extinct arthropods) restricted to Europe and North America during the Ordovician Period (about 488 million to 444 million years ago). Isotelus was relatively large for a trilobite and was characterized by its distinctive flat shape. The head and the tail were well developed and large relative to the whole animal. The number of thoracic segments was small, and the eyes were large and crescentic in shape.