2.1" Hoplolichoides Trilobite - Top Quality Preparation

Hoplolichoides Trilobite - Top Quality Preparation #178247

This is a stunning example of one of the more exotic types of trilobites from the St. Petersburg region of Russia, Hoplolichoides furcifer. It's 2.1" long, very 3-dimensional, and has beautiful bumpy shell preservation. The preservation and preparation on this specimen is truly exceptional. Restoration is about 2-3% mostly on the genal spines.

Photo of the Vilpovitsy quarry near St. Petersburg, Russia, where this trilobite was found.

Trilobites were a very diverse group of extinct marine arthropods. They first appeared in the fossil record in the Early Cambrian (521 million years ago) and went extinct during the Permian mass extinction (250 million years ago). They were one of the most successful of the early animals on our planet: over 25,000 species have been described, filling nearly every evolutionary niche. Due in large part to their hard exoskeletons (shells), they left an excellent fossil record.

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