Description
A very large (4.5 cm) red Elrathia kingii trilobite from the famous House mountain range in the high desert of Western Utah. This loose specimen is prepared from top and bottom. These trilobites are preserved in the rather ubiquitous cone-in-cone calcite process. On rare occasions in the well preserved red specimens from the uppermost Wheeler Formation, evidence of trilobite soft tissues (antennae & legs) is preserved. A handful of these specimens have been recovered with varying levels of quality.
This specimen exhibits mostly evidence of antennae, clearly presenting as segmented structures emerging from beside the hypostome (antennular bases) and following along the cephalic border, rather than extending out in front of the trilobite. This arrangement is often seen with antennae hugging the cephalic curve in a place where antennae are commonly preserved, Beecher’s Trilobite Bed. The antennular segments on the left side, especially at its base are quite well preserved. There is scant evidence for appendages on this specimen.
