GEM Calymene gamechei Trilobite with Legs and Antennae

Description: The trilobite presented here is rarely offered since few have ever collected in this region, but what makes this one truly exceptional is the fact that it exhibits a type of soft tissue preservation I have never seen before. During the course of finish work along the edges of the thorax the preparator was astonished to see evidence of limbs and antennae preserved in a combination of iron and calcite, an unprecedented occurrence. Segmentaation of some limbs, claw feet, and annulated antennae are all evident; some features are more easily seen in the negative photos included. Other calcitic infillings of some cracks complicates the situation. To the best of my knowledge no other example of this type of preservation has been reported. It is only through painstaking work with 50 nanometer powder that the features here were brought to light without complete destruction during the preparation process.

Reference: Palaeontographica Canadiana, Monograph 22, 2004.