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INTACT EYE AND HEAD DETAIL RARELY SEEN
COMPLETELY INTACT FRINGED PYGIDIUM
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FINEST GRADE LARGE KONEPRUSIA TRILOBITE Hamar Laghdad Formation - Erfoud, Morocco DEVONIAN PERIOD: 395 - 345 million years ago The Koneprusia trilobite looks like it was a living thorn bush. Its pleural spines even had spines on spines! This eerie prehistoric creature certainly must have been a site to behold slowly inching its way across the ocean floor hundreds of millions of years ago. This stunning and very rare example comes from the Devonian limestone of the Atlas Mountains in Morocco, North Africa. If you are demanding only the finest, 'non-fabricated' spiny trilobite specimens in your collection then you should seriously consider this magnificent specimen. Without question, this one of the largest and highest quality Koneprusia trilobites we have ever encountered. Caution is strongly advised when it comes to shopping for trilobites as there are many fake trilobites now on the market, especially the spiny varieties like this specimen. Often, features such as thicker than normal spines and a dull, almost chalky appearance without any natural luster to the creature are some obvious signs of fakes. The minute detail seen in the close-ups to this remarkable specimen make this the finest possible example one could ever find! Just look at the above photos of the eye, the fringe on the tail, the small spine-on-spine side (pleural) spines. This kind of detail is the hallmark not only of a GENUINE specimen, but one of the highest degree of preservation. A trilobite like this is truly an investment grade specimen. All spines are GENUINE and trilobite lacks any of the typical fabrication. Beautifully preserved carapace is a natural dark olive color. The original limestone matrix in which this trilobite was found has been meticulously prepared. It is a natural butter yellow hue and has a prepared smooth surface with the trilobite raised up off the rock for the ultimate display. Prepared with the finest modern micro-abrasive equipment and countless hours of 'nerves of steel' skill, each spine is original and natural, unlike the vast majority of spiny trilobites where the spines are fabricated from putty and resin. This example is a top choice and represents the finest and rarest fossil Koneprusia, if not any spiny trilobite that can be found with GENUINE SPINES freed from their matrix.
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'. SUPER RARE TRILOBITE OF UNCOMMONLY LARGE SIZE - ORIGINAL SPINES ALL FREE OF MATRIX! 4.5" x 2.75" with original matrix, trilobite 2.25" long SOLD TR36-002 INCLUDES STAND Actual Item - One Only |
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