Eurypterus
remipes
Class Merostomata,
Order Eurypterida, Superfamily Eurypteroidea, Family Eurypteridae
Geological
Time: Upper Silurian, (~410 m.y.a.)
Size (25.4
mm = 1 inch): Eurypterus fossil
is 102
mm long (curve measure) by 64 mm wide at the swimming legs; Matrix:
170 mm by 170 mm and 185 mm by 155 mm pair
Fossil Site:
Bertie Group, Fiddler’s Green Formation Phelps Waterlime, Herkimer
County, New York
Fossil Code:
KZC02
Price: Sold
Description:
While Eurypterids (“Sea Scorpions”) are uncommon
fossils worldwide, New York state is one of the few places where
conditions
for preservation have been ideal.
They were large arthropod predators during the Silurian and Devonian,
reaching a maximum length of
2 meters. The Eurypterid colonies of New York are distinctly localized,
with two being found above and two below the salt beds of what
was termed the Salina Series. These colonies are presumed to be
breeding pools of brackish to partly open basins. They are the
Otisville Basin (Colony O), the Pittsford Pool (Colony P), the
Herkimer Pool (Colony P), and the Buffalo
Pool (Colony P). These last two are the most famous
of them, yielding numerous fantastic
specimens. Erypterus remipes was a small example of the Merostomata,
with specimens having been found ranging from 8 mm to 280 mm in
length. It is presumed to have crawled along the seafloor, using
its grasping pincers to seize trilobites and other prey. This fine
example is an adult, and has the swimming paddles and some walking
legs preserved. Notice the compound eyes and detail to the prosoma.
Much of the exoskeleton is preserved, the segmentation of the meso-
and metasoma is well detailed, and the specimen is well-centered
on the large dolostone matrix. What makes this one most unusual
is the fact that it is preserved as a part/counterpart pair with
a degree of 3D presence. This is a fine example of the fossil designated
the New York State Fossil by then Governor Mario
Cuomo in 1984.
Also see smaller less expensive Eurypterus specimens here and
here. |
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