Name: Paralejurus hamlagdadicus Order: Phacopida
Age: Devonian
Formation: AM Limestone
Location: Morocco
Size: Trilobite is 4.25 inches long
Beautiful and carefully displayable trilobite. This is a beautiful specimen from the Devonian period 416 million to 358 million years ago. Paralejurus hamlagdadicus from the Devonian of Morocco. This amazing trilobite specimen has been meticulously prepared by paleontologist in Morocco. This trilobite does not have the short genal spines like Paralejurus rehamnanus. This unusual Scutellid trilobite is extremely inflated and wonderfully articulated. Both free cheeks are intact, and the orange eyes are quite striking. The entire body has been prepared in a free-floating manner! The large trilobite is well displayed on the natural block of sculpted limestone.
Trilobite proliferated and thrived throughout the Paleozoic world, comprising one of the earliest known groups of arthropods. They flourished to over 600 species at their zenith, including many with exotic exoskeletons and unique feeding strategies. They are probably most closely related to modern horseshoe crabs.
Though the Cambrian (521 mya) marks the appearance of trilobites in the fossil record, they were already highly diverse. They continued to proliferate until their decline in the Devonian and eventual disappearance in the Permian mass extinction (250 mya).
