1.4" Cyphaspis Otarion Spiny Trilobite Fossil Devonian Age 400 Mil Yrs Old COA

Location: Oufaten, Morocco

Weight: 7.5 Ounces 

Dimensions: 3.3 Inches Long, 2.7 Inches Wide, 1.3 Inches Thick (Matrix)

Trilobite Dimensions are: 1.4 Inches Long, 1.1 Inches Wide, 0.4 Inches Thick

Comes with a Certificate of Authenticity.

The item pictured is the one you will receive.

Cyphaspis Otarion Spiny Trilobite

Trilobites: Long before vertebrates ruled the seas, trilobites thrived as one of the most successful and diverse groups of marine animals ever to exist. Classified under the class Trilobita, these extinct arthropods first appeared approximately 521 million years ago during the Early Cambrian period, marking the start of the Atdabanian stage in the fossil record. For hundreds of millions of years, trilobites inhabited Earth’s ancient oceans and became a defining life form of the Paleozoic Era, disappearing long before dinosaurs evolved.

Trilobites were pioneers in animal design. They were the first known creatures to develop a hard exoskeleton, a breakthrough that provided protection, structural support, and an extraordinary ability to fossilize. Their bodies followed a distinctive three-lobed layout, consisting of a central axial lobe flanked by two pleural lobes. This unique structure inspired the name trilobite, meaning “three-lobed,” and remains one of their most recognizable traits.

The trilobite body was organized into three specialized regions. At the front was the cephalon, which housed compound eyes, feeding structures, and sensory organs such as antennae. Behind it lay the thorax, a flexible middle section made up of two to sixty-one articulated segments, allowing movement and defensive behaviors such as curling. The body ended with the pygidium, where the segments were fused into a solid tail shield.

Today, trilobites are among the most studied fossils in the world. Their remarkable diversity and preservation offer invaluable insight into early marine ecosystems, the evolution of arthropods, and the rise of complex life on Earth.

Please be aware of the nature of fossils:

Being buried under the ground for millions of years under tons of pressure tends to be rough. No fossil comes out of the ground whole and perfect. Most fossils have undergone some restoration, while others are altered by man simply to enhance their presentation in different ways. The workers in Morocco do a very professional job of unearthing and preserving these natural treasures; however, natural cracks are commonly visible on the surface. These are part of the natural beauty of the fossil and are not considered defects.