IMMENSE Museum Pyritized Triarthrus Trilobite

Preserved Soft Tissue & Ventral Preparation

Triarthrus eatoni

Trilobites Order Ptychopariida, Family Olenidae

Geological Time: Late Ordovician

Size (25.4 mm = 1 inch): Trilobite is 35 mm long by 17 mm wide with 15 mm antennae on a 50 mm by 80 mm matrix

Fossil Site: Lorraine Shale, Lewis County, New York

Fossil Code: PYT111

Price: Sold


Triarthrus eatoni TrilobiteDescription: With only about a half dozen localities known, trilobites with soft tissue preservation are rare. A well-known site in the United States is Beecher’s Trilobite bed where examples of Triarthrus, Cryptolithus, and Cornuproetus are known. In 2005 a new location in Lewis County was discovered which will take its place in this select group as a site containing Triarthrus eatoni with preserved appendages. These trilobites were buried rapidly, resulting in an anxonic environment which allowed for infilling with fine-grained pyritic deposits that preserved the details seen here. The rich gold color is a striking contrast to the deep black matrix, making for a dramatic specimen available in very limited quantities. This fine example is preserved in ventral mode along with a small (3 mm) ostracod seen near the ends of the antennae. The darkened photo was taken with the sample immersed in toluene to heighten contrast. Such a specimen takes hours to prepare as a very fine grit must be used to preserve the delicate details as seen here. I am sure you will agree that the effort is well worth it. When you consider that some 98% of all specimens found fall in the 8mm to 10 mm range this one is quite exceptional. Were it not for the relatively unobtrusive crack this one would have commanded a price fully twice that being asked here.

Trilobite Fossil Sales

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