|
|
|
DEVONIAN BRITTLESTAR STARFISH FOSSIL WITH PRESERVED SOFT TISSUE FROM FAMOUS BUNDENBACH SLATES IN GERMANY Hunsruck Slate - Bundenbach, Germany LOWER DEVONIAN (EMSIAN) PERIOD: 390 million years ago This is a beautiful Brittle Star starfish fossil from the famous Bundenbach Slates of Germany. The species is Ophiurina lymani and it is a very ancient starfish from the Lower Devonian Period. This world-renowned fossil-bearing site is known for a rare deposit of marine invertebrate fossils that have been preserved in pyrite with extraordinary detail including a very rare occurrence of fossilized soft tissue. This can be seen in this particular fossil we offer here. Soft tissue preservation is extremely rare in the fossil record and it provides us a unique opportunity to view the prehistoric creature in the form that it was in when alive. Often found in distorted positions where the delicate anatomy is difficult to appreciate, this is a superb example of this starfish with perfectly spread arms and soft tissue center. It is well-centered on the slate tile and affords superb 100% natural, authentic detail of a very old form of starfish from a time when the seas were swarming with bizarre marine life such as trilobites and crinoids. Slate is COMPLETELY NATURAL, with slight gold color of the pyritized Brittlestar exhibiting fantastic detail without distortion. From an old collection and getting scarcer and scarcer to find. NO REPAIR, RESTORATION OR ENHANCEMENT. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED! The Hunsruck Slates of Bundenbach, Germany are now protected and have been closed to collecting for quite some time. The only way to acquire a fossil from this famous location is to find an old collection piece for sale. The quarries were once worked for slate roofing tiles, with the slate being cut and split by manual labor which permitted the occasional discovery by quarry workers of fossils in the slate tiles. When a fossil was discovered, they were usually set aside for collectors. Later technological advances in fossil preparation utilized various methods to further remove the matrix around the fossil without damaging the specimen thereby revealing incredible preservation rarely seen in preserved remains. The last mines were abandoned in the 1960's. Starfish (scientifically known as ASTEROIDS and OPHIUROIDS) first appear in the fossil record in the Lower Ordovician. They are members of the phylum Echinodermata, the largest phylum of strictly marine creatures. Starfish are included in this group along with animals such as sea urchins, sea cucumbers and sand dollars. Most living echinoderms have a five-fold symmetry called PENTAMERAL. This is not always the case though, and despite the common five arms, there are starfish species that have many more then just five. Echinoderms have an internal water canal system and tube feet with suckers that they use to move, burrow and grasp objects. Because of their overall fragile nature, starfish are rarely preserved as complete specimens. SUPERB DEVONIAN STARFISH FOSSIL FROM A NOW PROTECTED, WORLD FAMOUS SITE 7.4" x 4.7" overall in matrix with starfish .8" in width $275 SF016 INCLUDES STAND Actual Item - One Only |
|
275 |
