Description
Absolutely gorgeous 4.3 cm Olenellus terminatus, featuring a thick, dark red, translucent calcite exoskeleton. This is a definitive example. They really do not get any better than specimen for this species. Intact exoskeleton on Lower Cambrian Olenellids is extremely scarce. This specimen showcases the best the species has to offer with its narrow, rapidly tapering thorax and very long telson (tail spine) and nice inflation. The trilobite is nicely centered on a beautiful chunk of thick matrix, nestled in a round halo with other Olenellus parts adorning the plate. Small iron-colored snowflake-like dendrite crystals dot the plate as well. This specimen hails from the distal edges of the eastern flanks of the Pioche Shale, near the ghost town of Delamar. O. terminatus seems to have two types, with one being more rounded with a wider exoskeleton, and this type with its narrow tapering exoskeleton and more squared angles. This specimen is extremely unique and we’ll likely not see one like it again. No restoration.
Age: Lower Cambrian
Species Name: Olenellus terminatus
Order / Family: Redlichiida / Olenellidae
Locality: Lincoln County, Nevada
Formation: Pioche Shale
