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RARE MUSEUM GRADE LARGE PREHISTORIC STARFISH, SEA LILY AND TRILOBITE FOSSIL SLAB OF MASS EXTINCTION EVENT FOSSILS Ktaoua Formation - South Morocco ORDOVICIAN PERIOD: 488 - 443 million years ago Truly a museum grade display fossil slab of impressively large proportions, this is an amazing 100% NATURAL association of a mass extinction event displaying countless starfish and crinoid (sea lily) fossils, from the Ordovician Period. Amidst the concentration of starfish and sea lilies, there is a Selenopeltis trilobite and a globular three-dimensional object that might be either a prehistoric sponge or coral colony. A specimen such as this with its impeccable preservation and dense concentration of multiple types of extinct sea life, is VERY UNCOMMON in the fossil record. Furthermore, the quality of the overall grouping as well as the intactness of the rock layer is something that is RARELY seen. If a museum wished to display an unforgettable and LARGE, visually impacting specimen of a mass extinction of various forms of co-existing marine life from nearly a half a billion years ago, this piece would be one that public visitors would likely remember and be duly impressed by! Many of the starfish fossils are the largest and most 3D, lifelike examples we have ever seen from this region! Many multiple Moroccan fossil slabs are artificially created by gluing together partial and complete trilobites on a rock base to make an impressive grouping. Such fossils are NOT rare and of little scientific value compared to a specimen such as this where all the fossilized life-forms died in this position as seen above and together in a layer. Some catastrophic event must have occurred to kill off so many of these at once. Some starfish are positioned upright as they were when alive and others are on their backs, giving a fantastic view of the ventral, vascular anatomy of these extinct creatures. The trilobite has its pygidium (tail) still buried in the rock layers below which explains its partial appearance. Most interesting is the globular, fully inflated object off to the upper right corner. It is impossible to determine exactly what it is but it is rare and it is the first time we have seen such a fossil in this layer. All fossils on this plate are extremely three-dimensional and fully retain their lifelike appearance as when they were alive nearly a half a billion years ago. This is THE most impressive fossil starfish + other marine life fossil we have ever seen. All the fossils were prepared exactly as they were originally buried with NO FABRICATION or adding of parts missing to the fossils. Again, from a scientific perspective, this is an EXTRAORDINARILY RARE specimen because it is natural and so well preserved with such a large concentration of these different forms of prehistoric marine life.
For the ultimate
commercial or residential interior design application or for a public
museum exhibit, this is an extremely
rare and interesting very large fossil slab of the finest scientific
grade showing a rare and visually intriguing AUTHENTIC AND ORIGINAL
example of some of the earliest complex marine creatures on our planet.
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 some 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. RARE HIGHLY CONCENTRATED DEATH ASSEMBLAGE OF STUNNING, 3D FOSSILS OF PREHISTORIC STARFISH, SEA LILIES AND A TRILOBITE A TRUE MUSEUM PIECE! 35" x 26.5" overall with a slab of 2" average thickness, starfish range in diameter from 5.25" to 2.5" in lengths $18500 SF017 Actual Item - One Only |
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