Name: Eospondylus primigenius
Age: Lower Devonian, Seigenian/Emsian Stage
Size: (25.4mm=1 inch): 55 mm across on a 181 by 95 mm matrix.
Location: Hunsruck Slate, Bundenbach Germany
Code: B007
Price: $225.00 - Sold
 Description:
Well-preserved example of an Ophuroid (brittlestars) known as Eospondylus
primigenius . The Hunsruck slate is famous for its fossils, many of
which have pyritization present. Rapid burial and pyritization was
what led to the many wonderful examples of early Devonian life from
the region. The chemistry of the silt was such that low organic content
and high levels of iron and sulfur allowed the pyrite to diffuse into
the tissues rather than be deposited in the sediment. The pyritization
of this one is quite extensive, making for an esthetic display piece.
The mudstones were metamorphosed into slate during the Carboniferous.
The slate was quarried for roofing tiles, and the quarrymen would
save the fossils for later sale. Now that the quarries are no longer
open, future supplies of these wonderfully-preserved benthic organisms
will only come from existing collections. |
