Furca mauretanica
Phylum Arthropoda, Class Marrellomorpha
Geological Time: Lower Ordovician
Size (25.4 mm = 1 inch): Fossil is 31 mm by 31 mm on a 100 mm by 40 mm matrix
Fossil Site: Upper Fezouata Formation, Zagora, Morocco
Code: 12138
Price: $750.00
 Description:
This is a fine example of an Ordovician marellomorph known as Furca
mauretanica. The Marellomorpha are a small group of rare, primitive
arthropods. The order was named after the Burgess Shale genus Marella
(see my other offerings) and also includes Mimetaster (again, see
my other specimens). The genus was first known from specimens found
in Bohemia (Furca bohemica). In 2004 a new species was been found
in the Upper Fezouata Formation deposits near Zagora, Morocco.
The cuticle of specimens is typically preserved as a deep red or
reddish-brown mineralization. This specimen consists primarily
of the cephalic shield; the trunk would have projected out between
the posterior pair of extensions. Very few examples are offered,
but new ones occasionally come to light.
Reference: PhD Thesis of Peter Van Roy, University of Ghent, July 2006, pp 63-86. |
