Three Lower Cambrian Trilobites (Neltneria) - Issafen, Morocco

This is cluster of three, Lower Cambrian Neltneria termieri trilobites from Issafen, Morocco. This is a uncommon species in the formation, so finding three in association like this is unusual. They are all well defined specimens that have been nicely prepared to bring them out in relief against the shale.

Comes with a display stand.

In the past few years, deposits near Issafen, Morocco have begun yielding a new assemblage of Early Cambrian trilobites. This fauna is very diverse and consists mainly of ellipsocephalids, chengkouiids, gigantopygids, holmiids, neltneriids, saukiandids, and the latest fallotaspids. The shale is a greenish to slightly yellow color when freshly split, but weathers to a light grey.

Trilobites were a very diverse group of extinct marine arthropods. They first appeared in the fossil record in the Early Cambrian (521 million years ago) and went extinct during the Permian mass extinction (250 million years ago). They were one of the most successful of the early animals on our planet: over 25,000 species have been described, filling nearly every evolutionary niche. Due in large part to their hard exoskeletons (shells), they left an excellent fossil record.

More About Trilobites