Ezio Bonsignore Posted January 22, 2020 Share Posted January 22, 2020 Trilobide geode, bought in Morocco from a street vendor. I tend to assume it's real, because nobody would wish to work on a fake for such little money - but I will accept your expert judgement. Size about 6x4cm. If real, what is it? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ezio Bonsignore Posted January 22, 2020 Author Share Posted January 22, 2020 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ezio Bonsignore Posted January 22, 2020 Author Share Posted January 22, 2020 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fossildude19 Posted January 22, 2020 Share Posted January 22, 2020 Welcome to the Forum. Yes, this is completely real. Possibly Flexicalymene ouzregui. It isn't really considered a "geode", but rather a fossil bearing nodule. 5 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...
Rockwood Posted January 22, 2020 Share Posted January 22, 2020 It's an exoskeleton that has been shed during a molt. As opposed to being an encased animal. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ruger9a Posted January 22, 2020 Share Posted January 22, 2020 Real and a very nice one at that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ezio Bonsignore Posted January 22, 2020 Author Share Posted January 22, 2020 "It's an exoskeleton that has been shed during a molt. As opposed to being an encased animal. " Now that's really intriguing. How can you tell? (Not doubting you, just curious). And, is this fairly common, or trilobite fossils normally are whole animals? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rockwood Posted January 22, 2020 Share Posted January 22, 2020 The indications are best seen in the third photo. Notice the gap at the very top. The pygidium (tale) is also slightly tucked into the thorax. These gaps represent the suture lines that the soft creature escapes through. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KingSepron Posted January 22, 2020 Share Posted January 22, 2020 I'm kinda glad tribolites went extinct. Part of me feels like they'd be like a horrifying cross between caterpillars and cockroaches Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gieserguy Posted January 22, 2020 Share Posted January 22, 2020 16 minutes ago, KingSepron said: I'm kinda glad tribolites went extinct. Part of me feels like they'd be like a horrifying cross between caterpillars and cockroaches To be fair, all crustaceans (and all arthropods for that matter) molt in a similar fashion. So you're not completely off by comparing them to caterpillars and cockroaches, just in a different group of arthropods. Here's some pretty neato gifs of arthropods molting! 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KingSepron Posted January 22, 2020 Share Posted January 22, 2020 15 minutes ago, gieserguy said: To be fair, all crustaceans (and all arthropods for that matter) molt in a similar fashion. So you're not completely off by comparing them to caterpillars and cockroaches, just in a different group of arthropods. Here's some pretty neato gifs of arthropods molting! I will not sleep tonight, thank you Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ezio Bonsignore Posted January 23, 2020 Author Share Posted January 23, 2020 "The indications are best seen in the third photo. Notice the gap at the very top. The pygidium (tale) is also slightly tucked into the thorax. These gaps represent the suture lines that the soft creature escapes through." Now that's what I'll call "knowing your trilobite"... Many thanks fir all answers Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rockwood Posted January 23, 2020 Share Posted January 23, 2020 29 minutes ago, Ezio Bonsignore said: "knowing your trilobite". That is part of it. Fossils like this are commonly seen for sale in rock shops. I purchased one on my first trip to the Museum of Comparative Zoology in Cambridge, MA some years ago, so it was natural for me to absorb the information. We have many folks around here who are more knowledgeable about them than I. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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