Malcolmt Posted November 29, 2017 Share Posted November 29, 2017 Contrary to what some people may suspect I actually collected other things besides cystoids and echinoderms this past summer. Here is a trilobite that I am quite fond of that was found back in July. It was found in a blast of Ordovician Verulam. Took me a good 1/2 hour to get it cut out. It was in a very large slab that was a bit awkwardly positioned and I could not move it by myself. Both of my regular collecting buddies had already packed it in for the day so I was on my own to figure out how to get it out. Definitely worth the effort. It prepped up quite nicely in my humble opinion and best yet it was mine and not someone elses. Seemed to be always working on other peoples stuff this season. Just the two left rear most pleura were partially missing on this one. Have been debating whether or not to restore them. On the positive side it is 7 cm in length, so a very decent size. I suspect that this one is going to end up in my personal collection. As they say it is a keeper. For those of you that do not recognize this bug it is a Failleana indeterminata which are definitely a rarity in this locality. I have only ever seen in person one other prone complete specimen found here and that one sold for quite a bit of money. Personally I think this one is nicer. Alas found in July, prepped in September and October this one is not a candidate for IFOTM. 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kane Posted November 29, 2017 Share Posted November 29, 2017 Definitely a keeper. This species doesn't appear that regularly in the Verulam, and certainly not intact. Great find! ...How to Philosophize with a Hammer Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fossildude19 Posted November 29, 2017 Share Posted November 29, 2017 Great find and amazing prep, as per usual, Malcolm. Congratulations on adding a keeper like this to your collection! Regards, Tim - VETERAN SHALE SPLITTER VFOTM --- APRIL - 2015 __________________________________________________ "In every walk with nature one receives far more than he seeks." John Muir ~ ~ ~ ~ ><))))( *> About Me Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FossilDAWG Posted November 29, 2017 Share Posted November 29, 2017 I'd say that's a museum quality keeper! Great prep too! Don Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fossilized6s Posted November 29, 2017 Share Posted November 29, 2017 Nice bug, Macolm. And beautiful prep. ~Charlie~ "There are those that look at things the way they are, and ask why.....i dream of things that never were, and ask why not?" ~RFK ->Get your Mosasaur print ->How to spot a fake Trilobite ->How to identify a CONCRETION from a DINOSAUR EGG Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Manticocerasman Posted November 29, 2017 Share Posted November 29, 2017 amazing growing old is mandatory but growing up is optional. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Troodon Posted November 29, 2017 Share Posted November 29, 2017 Nice Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
piranha Posted November 29, 2017 Share Posted November 29, 2017 Yes, nice photos and interesting story about the difficult collection this great trilobite. Attaching the ID makes it accessible to any future searches for Failleana indeterminata. Considering this unusual species, does anyone here think it's important to include the ID? Just another Phacops! lol Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mediospirifer Posted November 29, 2017 Share Posted November 29, 2017 Very nice bug! It'd be a keeper for my collection, too... 32 minutes ago, piranha said: Yes, nice photos and interesting story about the difficult collection this great trilobite. Attaching the ID makes it accessible to any future searches for Failleana indeterminata. Considering this unusual species, does anyone here think it's important to include the ID? Just another Phacops! lol Agreed; I'd recommend adding it to Collections! Even if there's already one there, this is an excellent specimen. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Malcolmt Posted November 29, 2017 Author Share Posted November 29, 2017 1 hour ago, piranha said: Yes, nice photos and interesting story about the difficult collection this great trilobite. Attaching the ID makes it accessible to any future searches for Failleana indeterminata. Considering this unusual species, does anyone here think it's important to include the ID? Just another Phacops! lol Sorry Scott I will edit that. I actually copied this post from another group that I am in where everyone there knows what these are. They are kind of distinctive. Actually prior to prep I was thinking it was a Bumastoides billingsi as they are much more prevalent than these and most of the bug was covered, hence the nice preservation. The genals on this one are not as pronounced as I have previously seen. This is only the 2nd complete one I have ever seen come out of this locality and that one sold for a lot of money. I actually think this one is nicer and larger than that one. Interestingly this one was found in a totally different area where we had not even seen fragments of one before. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Northern Sharks Posted November 29, 2017 Share Posted November 29, 2017 I saw it at your place and was very impressed - that hasn't changed. It is a great bug, and at least the 3rd found in the pit this year. I saw a real nice negative a few years ago, but no luck finding the positive. There's no limit to what you can accomplish when you're supposed to be doing something else Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Malcolmt Posted November 29, 2017 Author Share Posted November 29, 2017 J. and k. both found one in the new east blast pile. This was the old north wall blast pile left over from the previous year. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jpc Posted November 29, 2017 Share Posted November 29, 2017 Very nice fossil. Congrats. If you get the camera out again, I would love to see a photo with your hand for scale. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Malcolmt Posted November 29, 2017 Author Share Posted November 29, 2017 15 minutes ago, jpc said: Very nice fossil. Congrats. If you get the camera out again, I would love to see a photo with your hand for scale. The ruler in the first pic is small lines millimeters large centimeters Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ludwigia Posted November 29, 2017 Share Posted November 29, 2017 Great find, Malcolm. Really special! I've only found a few bits and pieces on my trips to JD, although I once did have the good luck of finding a dolomitized Failleana sp. in the Silurian Amabel Formation at Mono Cliffs a few years ago. Greetings from the Lake of Constance. Roger http://www.steinkern.de/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jpc Posted November 30, 2017 Share Posted November 30, 2017 18 hours ago, Malcolmt said: The ruler in the first pic is small lines millimeters large centimeters Yeah, but I just like to see big trilobites in hand. No sweat. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tidgy's Dad Posted November 30, 2017 Share Posted November 30, 2017 That is a beautiful specimen. Outstanding! Life's Good! Tortoise Friend. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Malcolmt Posted November 30, 2017 Author Share Posted November 30, 2017 5 hours ago, jpc said: Yeah, but I just like to see big trilobites in hand. No sweat. Back by special request a picture of my hand..... and I left the trilo in the picture so you could get a sense of scale.... (By the way I am liking how this new Galaxy note 8 is taking pictures) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jeffrey P Posted November 30, 2017 Share Posted November 30, 2017 A very cool looking trilobite specimen there. Congratulations Malcolm on that rare find and magnificent prep. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ynot Posted December 1, 2017 Share Posted December 1, 2017 Pretty bug, oh yes, such a pretty bug. My precious. Such a pretty bug! Darwin said: " Man sprang from monkeys." Will Rogers said: " Some of them didn't spring far enough." My Fossil collection - My Mineral collection My favorite thread on TFF. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jpc Posted December 1, 2017 Share Posted December 1, 2017 Thanks, malcom. That is indeed a very nice trilobite. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wrangellian Posted December 3, 2017 Share Posted December 3, 2017 Well you may not have gotten it into the IFOTM in time but you can take pride in the fact that you've got a house full of fossils that would have made that award if you had entered them all in time! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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