1.5" Fossil Fireworm (Rollinschaeta) With Shrimp - Hjoula, Lebanon

Fossil Fireworm (Rollinschaeta) With Shrimp - Hjoula, Lebanon #201368

This is a rare, soft-bodied, muscle-bound fireworm (Rollinschaeta sp.) from the Cretaceous aged, marine deposits near Hjoula, Lebanon. The worm would be around 2.3" long if outstretched. Muscle preservation at this extreme level of clarity is quite astounding and provided scientists with an excellent picture of worm muscle groups in the Cretaceous. The worm is accompanied on the limestone by a couple of fossil shrimps (Carpopenaeus sp.). Fun Fact: This genus of worm was named after Henry Rollins, the lead singer of the punk rock band, Black Flag.

It comes with an acrylic display stand.

The discovery of amazingly preserved marine fossils near Hjoula, Lebanon dates back many centuries. In fact, they were first mentioned in writing by Herodotus, over 450 years before the birth of Christ. The first scientific work on these localities began in the 1800s: these deposits have been meticulously quarried by several Lebanese families for over a century. We purchase our specimens directly from one of these families.

These deposits represent a warm, shallow sea of the Middle Cretaceous, and have yielded over 70 types of fish and numerous other genera found nowhere else in the world. The preservation on many of these specimens is truly amazing: many examples of soft bodied preservation have been found.

A photo of one of the quarries at Hjoula, Lebanon

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