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RARE VARIANT RED SELENOPELTIS TRILOBITE IN 100% NATURAL PRESERVATION Ktaoua Formation - South Morocco ORDOVICIAN PERIOD: 510 million years ago The SELENOPELTIS trilobites from the Ordovician deposits of South Morocco are scarce in any form but this specimen is the much rarer of the variants. The long graceful spines radiating out from the cephalon (head) and pygidium (tail) coupled with its broad, creepy thorax detail make this an ominous-looking trilobite, indeed! The more common version has shorter and straighter spines projecting from the body. The Selenopeltis is one of the popular trilobites to fake because the relief of the body is low and the surface is simplistic. Because all forms of this genus are rare, the motivation is there from a financial perspective, for Moroccan craftsman to produce convincing replicas and sell them to unsuspecting brokers and dealers. This specimen has very obvious features that differentiate from a fabricated example. Even the genal spines (which often are restored even on authentic specimens) are 100% natural and original on this superb specimen. This Selenopeltis displays full inflation and wonderful articulation. This example is different from the more prevalent species that have shorter and straighter spines radiating out from the body. It is complete and with NO RESTORATION. Very highly recommended and of the finest possible preservation we have ever seen in this type. Color is NATURAL and trilobite is on its ORIGINAL host rock.
Next to dinosaur fossils, trilobites command a dedicated and passionate following amongst both scientists and fossil collectors, alike. In a relatively short time-frame (scientifically speaking, of course), we have the emergence and subsequent extinction of these fascinating creatures. Still most baffling is the incredible diversity of sizes and features that made up the trilobite group. Many bizarre species co-existed with highly specialized body parts that defy the theories of evolution in their "sudden" emergence and diversity during the Early Cambrian Period in what is known as the 'Cambrian Explosion'. Trilobites were among the world's first arthropods, a phylum of hard-shelled creatures with multiple body segments and jointed legs (although the legs, antennae and other finer structures of trilobites only very rarely are preserved). They constitute an extinct class of arthropods, Trilobita, that is comprised of over 15,000 known species. It has been reported that every year, four to five new species are discovered in the Atlas and Anti-Atlas Mountain regions in Morocco, alone! This desolate northern fringe of the Sahara Desert was once covered by a prehistoric ocean and its fossil deposits can be considered the world's richest and most diverse source of these ancient sea creatures. Trilobites are the single most diverse group of extinct organisms that ever existed, period! The smallest known trilobite is just three millimeters long, while the largest type grew to a length of 70 centimeters (over two feet long!). The most common fossil of trilobites is the mineralized dorsal exoskeleton of the creature. This is found in partial form from molting (shedding the shell as it grows) or in complete form when the animal was buried and died intact. The soft parts of the underside are rarely preserved. The name 'TRILOBITE' means 'three lobed" and is derived from the fact these animals had bodies featuring three longitudinal lobes, not lateral (head, body, tail) as is often thought. The lateral division of three parts is shared by many arthropods, not just trilobites. Considerable study has been done on trilobites as a whole organism. Even more fascinating though, is the research done on a microscopic level with regards to trilobite morphology. Radiographs have captured incredible detail of complete and fully articulated antennae and underparts like legs and gills, preserved in the host rock of some fossilized specimens. Perhaps the most impressive and classic feature of trilobites that comes to mind is the eyes. Microscopic studies of trilobite eye structures have also revealed marvelous adaptation and very high degrees of specialization in vision. It seems that the more we learn about trilobites, the unfolding of their mystery is stranger than fiction. Certainly we gain a greater appreciation with each new discovery of these strange and highly advanced but now extinct 'butterflies of the ancient seas'. RARE LONG SPINE VARIANT THAT IS MUCH, MUCH SCARCER THAN ITS SHORTER SPINE COUSIN - 100% NATURAL PRESERVATION! 6.75" x 4.4" with original matrix, trilobite is 4.4" in length $1795 TR46-004 INCLUDES STAND Actual Item - One Only |
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