Big Elegant Zilchovaspis rugosa Trilobite

Description: A large robust specimen with killer eyes. This genus is often prepared in “flying” 3D mode. Extraordinary, but quite expensive. This one has some aspects of being in flight, however, without the high altitude price!

A few lines regarding fake Moroccan trilobites. Trilobites from Morocco have a well-deserved reputation for lots of restoration, being composites, and outright cheap fakes. There are two basic ways I use for avoiding this. One, I only purchase from two wholesale dealers with impeccable credentials. Secondly, with the large eyed Devonian specimens; I carefully scrutinize the eyes. The complex lens structure they exhibit cannot easily be faked. So always look for that close-up photo of the eye before purchasing.

A elegant example of a member of the Order Phacopida, Family Dalmanitidae with many fine details present. While most frequently known in the trade as “Odontochile”, this one is actually Zilchovaspis. The most diagnostic features of this taxon are the parabolic cephalon and pygidial spine. Odontochile has a more circular cephalic outline, and a shorter, broadly-based pygidial spine. Both genera bear a strong resemblance to the contemporary genus Huntonia from the Devonian of Oklahoma. This one is very artistic in its display with a reflexed thorax and freestanding genal and pleural spines.