Bargain, 2.55" Morocconites Trilobite - Ofaten, Morocco

Bargain, Morocconites Trilobite - Ofaten, Morocco #119633

Here is a bargain, 2.55" long specimen of one of the more unusual species of trilobites. It is Morocconites malladoides quarried from the deposits near Ofaten, Morocco. This member of the Phacopida trilobites and has a very defining feature, a long pointed rostrum (snout) coming off of it's head. It's unclear what purpose this rostrum would have served, but it could have potentially been used to help it dig through the mud.

The trilobite is laid out nice and prone but the preparation is a bit rough in areas, hence the bargain price. There is about 3-4% shell restoration along repaired cracks.

Trilobites were a very diverse group of extinct marine arthropods. They first appeared in the fossil record in the Early Cambrian (521 million years ago) and went extinct during the Permian mass extinction (250 million years ago). They were one of the most successful of the early animals on our planet: over 25,000 species have been described, filling nearly every evolutionary niche. Due in large part to their hard exoskeletons (shells), they left an excellent fossil record.

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