Rare Dicranurus & Reedops Association - Black Cat Mountain, Oklahoma

This is a fantastic association of a rare Dicranurus elegans underneath a Lochovella (Reedops) deckeri from the famous Black Cat Mountain trilobite quarry in Oklahoma. The Lochovella is 1.7" long, superbly preserved and prepared. Just check out all of the shell detail and eye facet preservation.

The Dicranurus is 1.6" long and looks complete, just with one cheek slightly shifted. It's tail is directly underneath the other trilobite so it couldn't be fully exposed.

The Black Cat Mountain Quarry produces a limited number of arguably the most beautiful trilobites in the United States each year. Each specimen is meticulously prepared by quarry owner Bob Carroll under microscope to expose the smallest details. This is a very time consuming process, taking many hours, but yields spectacular results.

About Trilobites

Trilobites are an extinct class of marine arthropods that thrived for nearly 270 million years, from the early Cambrian to the end of the Permian period (around 521 to 252 million years ago). They are one of the most successful and diverse groups in the history of life, with over 25,000 described species spanning a wide range of sizes, shapes, and ecological niches. Known for their distinctive, segmented exoskeletons, trilobites provide invaluable insights into the evolutionary history of arthropods and the dynamics of ancient marine ecosystems.