A TRILOBITE QUADROPS (PHILONYX)
A SPINY TRILOBITE
MOROCCO
Trilobite Quadrops, flexuosa (Philonyx) (8.5 cm), Devonian (circa 408-393 million years ago). A beautifully prepared specimen, with the spines deployed in a dramatic fashion, giving this specimen a life-like appearance. Presented in a custom vitrine.
A striking example of a spiny trilobite, a member of the Acastidae family known as Quadrops flexuosa, or Philonyx. The profusion of spines found on this specimen served as a defense against its many predators during an era of dramatic geological and evolutionary change.
Trilobites are a class of marine arachnomorph arthropods that inhabited the seas during the Paleozoic Era, from the Cambrian through the Permien period. They existed in oceans for over 300 million years, with last of them disappearing during the mass extinction at the end of the Permien period, 250 million years ago —making them one of the most successful species to ever live. With it's multitude of spines, in particular those arching over the eyes, this trilobite has the appearance of an alien creature, making it hard to imagine it imagine that they once inhabited our planet in multitudes.
Condition Report:
To request a condition report for this lot, please email science@sothebys.com.
View it on
Sale price
Estimate
Time, Location
Auction House
A SPINY TRILOBITE
MOROCCO
Trilobite Quadrops, flexuosa (Philonyx) (8.5 cm), Devonian (circa 408-393 million years ago). A beautifully prepared specimen, with the spines deployed in a dramatic fashion, giving this specimen a life-like appearance. Presented in a custom vitrine.
A striking example of a spiny trilobite, a member of the Acastidae family known as Quadrops flexuosa, or Philonyx. The profusion of spines found on this specimen served as a defense against its many predators during an era of dramatic geological and evolutionary change.
Trilobites are a class of marine arachnomorph arthropods that inhabited the seas during the Paleozoic Era, from the Cambrian through the Permien period. They existed in oceans for over 300 million years, with last of them disappearing during the mass extinction at the end of the Permien period, 250 million years ago —making them one of the most successful species to ever live. With it's multitude of spines, in particular those arching over the eyes, this trilobite has the appearance of an alien creature, making it hard to imagine it imagine that they once inhabited our planet in multitudes.
Condition Report:
To request a condition report for this lot, please email science@sothebys.com.
Sale price
Estimate
Time, Location
Auction House
