This ULTRA-RARE spiny-tailed Asaphus trilobite with an AUTHENTIC tail and genal spines is truly an extraordinary find.  This is THE FIRST specimen of this rare unnamed species we have ever offered.  The fully inflated body shows wonderful relief and a dark caramel brown color.  All three spines are unusually long with very full relief and detail.  Unlike the vast number of creative Moroccan fake trilobites that continue to flood the market, this example shows detail on the rare anatomy that displays definitive proof of the authenticity of this trilobite and the originality and authenticity of its graceful spines.

This trilobite is a scientifically undescribed species belonging to the Asaphidae family.  The presence of the tail spine is what makes this trilobite so rare.  Asaphid trilobites do not normally possess such anatomy.  This specimen was found in Ordovician rock from the Anti-Atlas mountains in southern Morocco along the Northern Sahara.  While we have offered rare spiny-tailed asaphid trilobites in the past, this is the first kind with such unusually long genal spines that match the elongated nature of the tail spine.  The overall preservation of the body is very good with segment detail in the thorax and a well-preserved head.  Both eyes are plainly visible and AUTHENTIC which is very RARE.  This piece looks much better in person than the photos convey.  The trilobite protrudes with stunning full inflation off the rock and is only slightly twisted, likely distorted when buried under immense pressure of prehistoric ocean floor mud and sand prior to turning to fossil. 

The entire host rock is 100% original with no additional parts added and only cracks repaired.  The trilobite has NO FABRICATION and only cracks were filled and repaired.  For the most demanding collector of RARE FOSSILS, and a prized addition to the most impressive fossil trilobite collections.  This specimen presents itself with a very rare opportunity to acquire an example of a SCARCE trilobite that is RARE as well as highly aesthetic.

 

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Trilobites are hard-shelled, segmented creatures that lived hundreds of millions of years ago in the Earth's ancient seas.  They are considered to be one of our planet's earliest complex life-forms and are one of the key signature creatures of the Paleozoic Era.  Trilobites went extinct before dinosaurs even existed. 

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'.