Description
Lanceaspis hammondi
Trilobites Order Phacopida, Suborder Phacopina, Superfamily Acastoidea, Family Acastidae
Geological Time: Lower Devonian, Pragian Stage
Size (25.4mm = 1 inch): Trilobite is 60 mm long of which 25 mm is rostrum by 22 mm wide on a 76 by 70 mm matrix
Fossil Site: Jebel Iazzi, Oumjrane , Morocco
Fossil Code:14037
| Unusual example of a member of the Order Phacopida, with many fine details present. It looks for all the world to be related to that famous prevaricating puppet Pinocchio after telling a spate of whoppers. Just discovered in 2013, researcher in Spain after studying the taxon assigned it a name in mid-2014. It looks to have affinities with Morocconites, but the rostrum here is far, far more elongated. The first example I was aware of consisted solely of the cephalon with an attached rostrum, indicating it was not some fanciful composite specimen. Subsequently a few came to light as a mad dash by diggers to the site ensued. Most of the literal handful come from Jebel Iazzi or Jebel Issoumour. In this example here the rostrum is roughly 40% of the overall length of the specimen. There seems to be some variability in the base width of the rostrum, but the sample size as yet seems to be too small to determine whether that is intraspecific variability or indicative of separate species. I learned at the Tucson show last year that it appears the original locations have already been played out. Notice the fine eye facets present on this specimen. The unusual rostrum has been prepared freestanding, allowing you to see it in all its bizarre splendor.
Reference: Batalleria, 20, 2014, pp 3-10. |
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