Rare Nileus armadillo Russian trilobite

Description: This trilobite is from the one of the oldest levels of the Ordovician of Russia, example of a type rarely seen. Coming from the Lower Ordovician Wolhovian Level deposits of the Wolchow River region near Saint Petersburg, Russia, this is an example of the trilobite Nileus armadillo. It is a member of the Order Asaphida, Superfamily Cyclopygoidea. Its caramel-colored Calcite shell is well set off by the white limestone matrix. The most distinctive features of this trilobite are its large eyes and distinctive segments which presumably reminded the describer of the hard-shelled mammal of the Southern and Southwestern U.S. These trilobites are nearly always found in an enrolled condition. Enrollment was a defensive posture assumed by most trilobites. This one is only semi-enrolled, giving you a better view of its unusual features.