Small, .45" Orange Declivolithus Trilobite - Mecissi, Morocco

This is a .45" wide, colorful specimen of the Trinucleid trilobite Declivolithus from Morocco. It is very inflated and has a natural, bright orange preservation due to the oxidiation of iron pyrite which had replaced the fossil. It's probably the smallest example of this species that I have seen.

This trilobite has really dramatic cephalic pits along it's "head shield". It's unknown the exact purpose of these pits, they could have had sensory purposes or aided in filter feeding.

An Upper Ordovician (Katian) Trilobite Fauna From the Lower Ktaoua Formation, Morocco