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ABOVE AND BELOW MACRO PHOTOS OF EDGES OF THE PLEURAL SPINES AS WELL AS WHERE THE ORIGINAL NATIVE MATRIX MEETS THE SPECIMEN SHOW 100% AUTHENTIC FOSSILIZED CARAPACE AND LACK OF ANY MATRIX FAKERY OR EPOXY FILLER. FAKE / COMPOSITE SPECIMENS WILL HAVE A BORDER OF FILLER BETWEEN THE TRILOBITE AND THE ROCK WHERE ARTIFICIAL PIECES ARE AFFIXED TO THE MATRIX. THESE PHOTOS SHOW THIS SPECIMEN LACKS SUCH WORK AND EXFOLIATED EDGES OF THE 100% AUTHENTIC CARAPACE CAN BE READILY SEEN.
SAME GOES FOR THE ABOVE PYGIDIAL SPINES - 100% AUTHENTIC ORIGINAL FOSSIL SURFACE DETAIL SHOWN ABOVE AND BELOW ON THE ENTIRE PYGIDIAL SPINE. OF THE THREE COMPLETE SPECIMENS KNOWN, THIS SPECIMEN HAS THE LONGEST AND BEST PRESERVED TAIL SPINE!
CLOSE-UP IMAGES OF TAIL SHOW A 100% COMPLETELY AUTHENTIC APPENDAGE WITH AMAZING PRESERVATION AND MINUTE ANATOMICAL DETAIL!
ENTIRELY NATURALLY OCCURRING WITH THIS MONSTER-SIZE URALICHAS TRILOBITE IS THIS LITTLE AND RARE PLACOPARIA TRILOBITE
BACK OF SLAB SHOWS CLEAN REPAIRED FRACTURES THAT CORRESPOND WITH REPAIRS RUNNING THROUGH THE TRILOBITE ON THE FRONT SIDE. SUCH EVIDENCE DEFINITIVELY PROVES THE AUTHENTICITY AND MORE IMPORTANT - ORIGINALITY OF ALL PARTS OF THIS TRILOBITE TO THIS SPECIFIC SLAB - THIS IS NOT A COMPOSITE SPECIMEN OF MULTIPLE TRILOBITES AS IS OFTEN DONE WITH RARE INCOMPLETE SPECIES. AT THE TIME OF THIS POSTING, THIS IS ONLY THE THIRD COMPLETE AND ORIGINAL SPECIMEN KNOWN TO EXIST
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THIRD COMPLETE SPECIMEN IN EXISTENCE ULTRA RARE 100% ORIGINAL URALICHAS TRILOBITE Ktaoua Formation - Bordj, South Morocco ORDOVICIAN PERIOD: 510 million years ago On occasion in the field of paleontology, some really exciting and scientifically important discoveries come upon us. Our recent acquisition of this remarkable and complete Uralichas monster trilobite is one of those instances that will live on in memory long after the specimen finds a home in a very fortunate collection. This is ONLY THE THIRD 100% ORIGINAL, COMPLETE AND AUTHENTIC EXAMPLE KNOWN IN THE WORLD. The two other complete specimens currently reside in private collections as of this posting. There is a fourth specimen known that appears complete but is not, it is a composite with a fabricated pygidium having been molded and cast from this specimen we are offering here and further heavy restoration performed to all related spines. As a member of same genus, this unnamed Uralichas species is related to the second largest known trilobite species (Uralichas hispanicus) ever documented. Complete specimens were previously unknown and only fragments of body parts were found. The emphasis on the extreme rarity of this specimen cannot be overstated. As being one of only three complete and original examples known to exist, it is the only specimen open for sale. We have reviewed the two other known specimens which are complete but neither possess the quality of preservation that this one has. Furthermore, this is the ONLY one of the three that has an additional naturally occurring trilobite to accompany it on the same original matrix - a rare Placoparia sp. is seen above and to the side of the cephalon of the Uralichas. Several other features of this scientifically important trilobite make this example rise up as the best of the three documented in existence. The exceptionally high three-dimensional relief is a result of just the right circumstances in play when this fossil was formed, without any distortion or flattening caused by undue layer pressure. The tail spine is not only 100% complete, but it shows the most remarkable microscopic detail. Also, it is the largest tail spine of the three, exceeding the other two by over double in length! Could this be a sexually dimorphic feature? It's impossible to say for sure but the difference in this Uralichas' pygidial spine is dramatic to the other two. As further evidence of the authenticity of this trilobite, we have included large close-up photos above of the edges of the trilobite where it meets the rock. Faked or composited real pieces would have a margin of epoxy where the trilobite part would join to the rock but you can see irrefutable detail that only a genuine fossil could possess in this edge of the fossil with no evidence of any epoxy where the rock and trilobite join. The only work performed on this RAREST OF RARE trilobites is the repair and filling of cracks that were sustained when the rock was originally broken to discover the fossil. A photo of the back of the rock matrix shows very limited repairs which is fortunate for the integrity of the fossil. Very little repair was required and these same cracks can be seen on the front side running through the matrix a well as the trilobite. Most of the cracks are hairline fractures and the repair was near seamless. No part of the original matrix slab required the customary epoxy filler so the slab is clean with the simplest and most reserved preparation. A beautiful natural red coloration can be seen in regions of the matrix. Due to the nature of the frailty of this specimen, a sealer was applied to the trilobite and some artificial coloring was applied to blend the repairs. Again, this is a 100% COMPLETE URALICHAS TRILOBITE WITH ALL ORIGINAL BODY PARTS AS FOUND AND SHOWN ON THIS HOST ROCK. In many fields of rare collectibles, prices run into the hundreds of thousands or millions of dollars to own an original and authentic example of anything that there is only 50 or even 10 known to exist. Here is a specimen that is only the THIRD complete one known! It is furthermore, the finest of the three in existence. A customer once relayed that you can't go to an art auction at Christies or Sotheby's and find a simple original sketch or drawing from relatively unknown artists that start bidding for under $50,000. Even small bronze sculptures by no-name artists sell for tens of thousands of dollars and those are created in the present and can be made over and over from a mold. Put into perspective, the price for this unbelievably rare specimen is an enormous bargain. What would most rare collectibles sell for if they were only one of three known in the world? Certainly for many, many times the modest price of this fossil. The fact that this huge trilobite is not only RARE but truly an impressive display specimen provides all the right ingredients to classify this as a highly promising investment you can enjoy with pride every time you look at it. Certainly, every major public museum lacks such a specimen in their collections.
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'. ONLY THIRD COMPLETE SPECIMEN LIKE THIS KNOWN IN THE WORLD! THIS URALICHAS SPECIMEN HAS THE LONGEST TAIL SPINE OF THE THREE KNOWN EXAMPLES AND FEATURES THE BEST PRESERVATION RARE BEYOND MEASURE - EXOTIC INVESTMENT SPECIMEN - A LEGENDARY TRILOBITE KNOWN PREVIOUSLY ONLY FROM FRAGMENTS 21" x 14" with original matrix, trilobite is 16" in length by 6.75" wide SOLD TRX-003 INCLUDES STAND Actual Item - One Only |
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