|
Name:
Mimetaster hexagonalis and Ophiurina lymani
Age: Devonian
Formation: Hunsruck Shale (Bundenbach)
Location: Bundenbach, Germany
Size: Mimetaster is 1.1'' long and 1.1'' wide
This specimen is not for sale
Click here for similar specimens that are for sale
This is a very special plate of fossils from the famous Bundenbach slate of Germany. There is an extremely rare and collectible arthropod, Mimetaster hexagonalis, and two scarce brittlestars, Ophiurina lymani, on this slab. The fossils from this site are replaced by iron pyrite or "fool's gold". This, along with the black shale, would indicate a somewhat brackish, oxygen-deficient environment for these animals. The quarries in this region are now closed and no new specimens are being found. The only way to obtain specimens from this site is through the dispersal of old collections, and, of course, this plate was acquired from an OLD German collection. This enigmatic arthropod is one of the most sought-after fossils from this location. This spectacular specimen exhibits fabulous detail and is displayed in textbook fashion on the plate of slate. Just look at the beautiful articulation of the body and the bizarre appendages - could it be any better?
Fossil brittlestars are also quite uncommon in the fossil record, due to their delicate nature. On this slab, the large central disks of the brittlestars are easily seen, and the thin arms are quite evident. Both stars also have excellent detail preserved. This is a unique, one-of-a-kind association of two very different types of Devonian organisms from one of the most renowned fossil sites in the world. This is probably as close as a private collector could come to owning a perfect Marella splendens from the Burgess Shale!
|
|
