Name: Wanneria sp.

Age: Lower Cambrian

Size: mm (25.4mm=1 inch): 90 on 200 mm square matrix

Location: Eager formation, Cranbrook Rifle Range, British Columbia, Canada

Code: RD1

Price: $450 (Shipping $10.00)

This is a rare trilobite for the serious collector. It is an undescribed species of the genus Wanneria (Order: Redlichiida; Suborder: Olenellina; Family: Olenellidae; Subfamily: Wanneriinae). It comes from the Lower Cambrian, Eager formation, Cranbrook Rifle Range, British Columbia, Canada. You may already be familiar with the rare Wanneria walcottana from Pennsylvania, discovered and described by Drs. Wanner and Walcott nearly a century ago. This Wanneria sp. closely resembles the relatively more common Ollenellus, with a primary differentiation being Wanneria sp's lack of enlarged third pleural spines and tailspine. This site also yields Ollenellus and Paedumias sp. Importantly, members of Olenellina rank among the earliest trilobites in Cambrian statigraphy, dating to about 560 million years ago, and are thus a product of the Cambrian explosion. Morphologically primitive, its evolutionary origin from Precambrian, segmented worms (if you subscribe to this hypothesis) is evident.

The preservation is well above average for this large and ancient trilobite, showing excellent articulation.

The compete classification of the genus Wanneria is: Order: Redlichiida; Suborder: Olenellina; Superfamily: Olenelloidea; Family: Olenellidae; Subfamily: Olenellinae