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My trilobite of the week.


rew

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Today's midweek bonus trilobite is #32, Rhenocynproetus sp. from the Ma'eder Region, Morocco, and Early Devonian in age.  I don't know the species and I make no guarantees I have the genus right, either.  The shiny brassy color is due to the trilobite being pyritized.

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Just now, DevonianDigger said:

I really like this idea, but I don't want to have a competing thread. Perhaps once you have completed your epic run I will do the same with my little buggers.

I think our albums/galleries serves this function fairly well, with the handy benefit of having straight-up images without interrupting the flow with posts by others (but still permitting comments for the ooh-ah of others). And you've a fine gallery of bugs, Jay. :dinothumb:

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...How to Philosophize with a Hammer

 

 

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On 3/16/2019 at 10:55 PM, DevonianDigger said:

 

If this example is truely from the Windom member, then it should be labeled as Bellacartwrightia sp. This species has not yet been described. The B. whiteleyi is described only from the Wanakah member, below the Tichenor LS. The Bellacartwrightia sp. from the Windom was deemed to have enough differences to be classified as a different species. I'm currently in the process of trying to collect enough examples to have it properly described. Regardless, this is one of the nicer examples I have seen. In fact, if you feel so inclined, would you mind sending me some more photographs of this one along with your info so that I can include it in my collection of info?

@DevonianDigger @Al Tahan @rew I'm sure @GerryK would like to see more photographs. I also have one recorded in the Collections under Bellacartwrightia sp. Might be useful to log this one in Collections. Excellent specimen.

Do or do not. There is no try. - Yoda

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4 hours ago, Fossil-Hound said:

@DevonianDigger @Al Tahan @rew I'm sure @GerryK would like to see more photographs. I also have one recorded in the Collections under Bellacartwrightia sp. Might be useful to log this one in Collections. Excellent specimen.

Gerry, along with Bruce Lieberman, and Carlton Brett are all in the loop with regard to my research on this little fella. I'm trying to do it right :fingerscrossed:

Jay A. Wollin

Lead Fossil Educator - Penn Dixie Fossil Park and Nature Reserve

Hamburg, New York, USA

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This week's official trilobite, #33, is Redlichia chinensis.  This is from the Balang Formation of Western Hunan Province in China.  It is of early Cambrian age (4th stage).

dorsal-cropped-rotated-small.jpg

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Nice one. :) 

    Tim    -  VETERAN SHALE SPLITTER

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On 4/18/2019 at 3:37 PM, Fossil-Hound said:

@DevonianDigger @Al Tahan @rew I'm sure @GerryK would like to see more photographs. I also have one recorded in the Collections under Bellacartwrightia sp. Might be useful to log this one in Collections. Excellent specimen.

 

I added the Bellacartwrightia to Collections.  The original dorsal picture plus details of the left and right eye are uploaded.

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There are two midweek bonus trilobites.  #34 is a trilobite of Middle Devonian age and unknown genus and species within the family Proetidae, from Jorf, Morocco.  I believe it is an undescribed species.

 

dorsal-cropped-rotated-small.jpg

front-side-cropped-small.jpg

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Trilobite #35 is also a Middle Devonian proetid from Jorf, Morocco, but in the genus Xiphogonium within the family Tropidocoryphidae.  I'm not sure about the species, it may be undescribed.  With the long pleural spines and the ribbed pygidium this is pretty fancy for a proetid.

 

dorsal-cropped-rotated-small.jpg

side-cropped-small.jpg

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For some reason, I find Redlichia to be very beautiful... that and Olenellus are probably my favorite genus (genuses?) of trilobites :trilo:

 

Thanks for sharing such nice specimens!

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This week's theme is "Middle Devonian Proetids from Jorf, Morocco", so my trilobite of the week is the last such trilobite in my collection.  Trilobite #36 is Cyphaspides nicoleae.  This is what happens when a Proetid decides it wants to be an Ondontopleurid when it grows up.   (It is actually in the family Aulacopleuroidae.)  At 49 mm this is an above average size specimen, and the preparator has freed all spines from the matrix.  This is one of the top bugs in my collection.

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How do you store such a specimen to ensure you can look at it but will never accidentally bump or drop it? Those spines much be pretty fragile.

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I do what I suspect a lot of trilobite collectors do -- I keep it in its original shipping tub.  The trilobite was shipped in the usual way from Morocco -- two holes were drilled in the bottom of the rock (I presume before the trilobite was prepped).  Then bolts where glued into the holes.  Then the fossil was screwed to the bottom of a Tupperware style tub.  With the lid put on the tub, the trilobite can go sideways or upside down without touching anything.

 

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Still I would think you don't want to drop it or the jarring could knock a spine or two loose, no? (of course that involves just not being a dumb klutz, as I'm afraid I would be)

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On 4/16/2019 at 8:28 PM, rew said:

Today's midweek bonus trilobite is #32, Rhenocynproetus sp. from the Ma'eder Region, Morocco, and Early Devonian in age.  I don't know the species and I make no guarantees I have the genus right, either.  The shiny brassy color is due to the trilobite being pyritized.

dorsal-cropped-rotated-small.jpg

Did you coat this specimen in anything to prevent oxidation?

Each dot is 50,000,000 years:

Hadean............Archean..............................Proterozoic.......................................Phanerozoic...........

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                                                                                                           Ꞓ.OSD.C.P.Tr.J.K..Pg.NgQ< You are here

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18 hours ago, Wrangellian said:

Still I would think you don't want to drop it or the jarring could knock a spine or two loose, no? (of course that involves just not being a dumb klutz, as I'm afraid I would be)

 

Any time I'm handling a fossil like that I say to myself, "Don't be a dumb klutz, don't be a dumb klutz..."

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It's time for a midweek bonus trilobite.  Trilobite #37 is Hollardops merocristata, a common Middle Devonian ascastid from the El Oftal Formation at Oufaten, Morocco.  The eyes are very nice. 

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front-cropped-small.jpg

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Prepare to commence drooling.......Drool!

 

 

Mark.

 

Fossil hunting is easy -- they don't run away when you shoot at them!

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Well, this week's theme is Middle Devonian Moroccan Acastidae, so the trilobite of the week is #38, Mrakibina cattoi from the El Oftal formation of Jebel Mrakib, Alnif, Morocco.  This is a nice natural double.  This species is easy to identify, with the prominent pygidal lappets, the long, wide genal spines that go straight back, and the modest sized eyes.  The pair was a bit tricky to photograph together due to the smaller specimen on the right being at a much lower level of the rock than the larger specimen on the left.

dorsal-small.jpg

top-dorsal-cropped-rotated-small.jpg

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