3.1" "Trident" Walliserops Trilobite With Phacops

This is one of the weirdest, and most visually stunning species of trilobite, Walliserops trifurcatus. There is some debate about the purpose of the trident shaped appendage or rostrum coming off the front of it's head but it's likely it could have either had sensory purposes or have been used to stir up the mud while looking for food.

Unlike many on the market the trident and the free standing spines are real. They were painstakingly prepared free of the solid limestone using air abrasives under microscope and a lot of patience. This piece took 30-40 hours of manual labor to prepare. Just check out the detailed eye facets on this specimen.

This specimen was personally collected while I was in Morocco this past November. The last two photos in the photo set show the quarry location.

There is a slightly disarticulate Phacops trilobite crawling over the the top of the Walliserops which adds to the character of the piece.