1.6" Scabriscutellum Trilobite Fossil Devonian Morocco 400 Million Years Old COA
Location: Lghaft, Morocco
Weight: 3.9 Ounces
Dimensions: 2.6 Inches Long, 2.5 Inches Wide, 0.9 Inches Thick (Matrix)
Trilobite Dimensions: 1.6 Inches Long, 1 Inch Wide, 0.3 Inches Thick
Comes with a Certificate of Authenticity.
The item pictured is the one you will receive.
Scabriscutellum Trilobite
Trilobites are a long-extinct group of marine arthropods that make up the class Trilobita. They rank among the earliest known arthropods, first appearing in Earth’s oceans roughly 521 million years ago during the Early Cambrian period. Their arrival marks a major milestone in the fossil record and the beginning of the Atdabanian stage. For hundreds of millions of years, trilobites flourished in ancient seas and became one of the defining life forms of the Paleozoic Era, disappearing well before the rise of dinosaurs.
One of the most remarkable features of trilobites was their hardened exoskeleton, the earliest known skeletal structure in animals. This rigid outer shell provided protection and structural support, while also allowing trilobites to be preserved in extraordinary detail as fossils. Their bodies were organized into three longitudinal lobes, a central axial lobe bordered by two pleural lobes, which is the origin of the name trilobite, meaning “three-lobed.”
The body of a trilobite was divided into three functional regions. At the front was the cephalon, or head, which housed complex eyes, feeding structures, and sensory organs such as antennae. Following the head was the thorax, a flexible midsection made up of multiple articulated segments—ranging from just a few to more than sixty—allowing movement and adaptability. The rear portion, known as the pygidium, consisted of fused segments that formed a protective tail plate.
Trilobites occupied a wide range of marine environments and played an essential role in early ocean ecosystems. Today, their abundant and diverse fossils provide crucial evidence for understanding early animal evolution, Cambrian biodiversity, and the development 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, commonly, natural cracks are visible on the surface. These are part of the natural beauty of the fossil and are not considered defects.
