Description
A very rare offering featuring a double trilobite plate with two perfect examples of different species. The plate features a large 4.4 cm Olenellus chiefensis in close association with a 2.5 cm Olenellus gilberti, both nestled in a field of dendritic crystal growths. Both specimens are exceptional examples of their type on their own, with the combination of the two on an extremely aesthetic plate being something special we rarely see. A negative or impression of a partial O. gilberti sits to the left of the chiefensis. O. chiefensis and O. gilberti are defining species of their time, marking the last iterations of the Great Olenelloid super family of trilobites. They were the first trilobites in the fossil record, dominating the seas of the Lower Cambrian, with their demise marking the end of the Lower Cambrian period some 510 million years ago.
Age: Lower Cambrian
Species Name: Olenellus chiefensis, Olenellus gilberti
Order / Family: Redlichiida / Olenellidae
Locality: Lincoln County, Nevada
Formation: Pioche Shale
