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BRITTLE STAR STARFISH IN SOLNHOFEN LITHOGRAPHIC LIMESTONE Solnhofen Lithographic Limestone - Zandt, Southern Germany UPPER JURASSIC PERIOD (MALM): 154 - 144 million years ago WARNING: Fossils of this nature where the creature is on a flat limestone plate are becoming more and more the target of fakery. Examples where the "fossil" is painted to enhance or recreate missing parts is almost now the norm. We continue to see a HUGE proliferation of so-called fossils where the entire creature is very skillfully painted on the rock using paintbrushes of a single hair! This is especially true of the Lebanon fossils in all aspects from fish to shrimp but sadly, we are also seeing this being done to a host of Solnhofen specimens of all types, as well. If the price seems especially good, make absolutely sure of what you are getting and if you cannot tell, then ask the dealer to put it in writing with an unconditional guarantee that the specimen has not been painted or enhanced. We guarantee EVERY one of these Brittle star starfish specimens is ABSOLUTELY 100% NATURAL WITH NO ENHANCEMENT OF ANY KIND! If you value quality instead of looking for the cheapest fossil to add to your collection, then these examples are of the finest possible quality and guaranteed GENUINE AND NATURAL. This is one of the finest natural specimens of the Brittle star Geocoma carinata you could ever hope for. As stated, it is completely natural and can boast of no painting or enhancement. It is 100% complete on the smoothest and finest grade German lithographic limestone that Zandt is known for. As seen in the close-up image, the detail and body parts of the starfish are of the finest preservation and well mineralized. Natural limestone plate larger than usual and is an aesthetic warm butter yellow with rich gold banding down one side. Brittle star is perfectly centered and micro-blasting to the fossil surface when it was prepared, has left a bright contrasted region of light cream matrix surrounding the creature making for easy viewing. Exceptional in every way and one of the best of a very rare lot of specimens we recently received from an ex-collection of a private German museum. RECOMMENDED! 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. Brittle stars are a type of starfish that are uniquely classified in their own group called OPHIUROIDEA. The ophiuroids possess five long and fragile arms radiating out from a small, round disc-shaped body. Brittle stars lack the bulk and thickness of the asteroids and are lightly armored. Famous for producing an astonishing diversity of rare and most intricately preserved fossils found anywhere in the world, the lithographic limestone quarries of Solnhofen in southern Germany are legendary. This region was once a shallow and quiet marine environment with a lime mud bottom. All the conditions of this formation were perfect during the Jurassic to preserve a host of prehistoric life that is unlike anything seen in any other part of our planet in terms of quality! Zandt is one of the most desirable locations in the Solnhofen Formation, producing the smoothest and finest grade stone showcasing incredibly fine grade fossils of the Jurassic. ONE OF THE BEST OF THE LOT - MOST BEAUTIFUL FEATURES AND FINEST PRESERVATION! 6" x 4.5" overall in matrix with starfish 1.6" in width $195 SF004 INCLUDES STAND Actual Item - One Only |
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