This is a BEAUTIFUL, TOP QUALITY, Super rare Coltraneia berbera, formerly Treveropyge berbera, trilobite from the Devonian of Morocco! Trilobites are arthropods that lived from 521 to 252 million years ago. Some would roll into a ball like roly polies, such as this specimen. They come in many shapes and sizes, with all sorts of shapes protruding from them including spines! The trilobite is 2.7 inches long with INCREDIBLE eyes, spines, detail, and prep work!
The only repair occurred as the trilobite was being prepped. Like all Moroccan trilobites the fossil was discovered by breaking a rock open, and breaking through the fossil, and gluing the rock back together as the trilobite is exposed by prep work.
Fake Moroccan trilobites plague the fossil market, a close-up of the specimen was taken with a microscope to prove that it is authentic and not resin.
About the name: The name on this one is a little goofy. First discovered in 2001 this trilobite was classified as Treveropyge berbera, which fit it quite well. Treveropyge is one of the rarest genera of Moroccan trilobites and one of it's most distinctive features is the little nose sticking out. However this species also has really tall eyes which put it more inline with Treveropyge's slightly more common (but still kind of rare) closely related genus Coltraneia. So in 2006, this species was changed to Coltraneia berbera. In terms of the rarity of this species, nothing changed, this is genuinely one the rarest and most difficult to acquire species of Moroccan trilobite. However because it's former genus is more associated with rarity than the current and proper genus it is often marketed under it's former name.
Shenanigans with the name aside, this is a truly top quality piece from an extraordinarily rare and truly alien creature from the fossil record and a magnificent museum quality addition to any collection!
All my items come with a Certificate of Authenticity!
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Species: Coltraneia berbera, formerly Treveropyge berbera
Size: 2.7 inches
Found: Morocco
Age: 419-359 million years old
Repair: Broken in two and glued back together