Onnia Moroccan Trilobite with Occipital Spine

Description: This fine plaque houses a fine trilobite called Onnia superba. In all likelihood it is unnamed. In the past trilobites from Morocco were taken to Europe where they often were assigned names of local species. For the sake of argument let us call this Onnia aff superba until such trilobites can be sorted out. There are many fine details evident such as the pitted cephalic ring by which the trilobites fed. They presumably swam along just above the seafloor, using their legs to kick up suspended matter into their filter chamber with the water existing dorsally through the fenestrae (pits, Latin for windows). With the advent of a reliable source of electricity in Morocco, the quality of preparation has improved dramatically over the past few years. While I used to refer to trilobites prepared in a mode similar to this as flying, I feel a new term is warranted by the preparation now coming into vogue. Notice the occipital spine and genal spines have been prepared freestanding, a labor-intensive task that resulted in the fine example you see here.