A wonderful and very large Paradoxides acadoparadoxides trilobite measuring 620mm tall. Now presented on THE FOSSIL STORE AES bronze stand series. The specimen is unique due to the quality of preservation. The exoskeleton has remarkable preservation, all the essential features are intact, and the plate has not suffered damage before or during excavation. The constituent parts of the carapace are well defined, the librigenes (cheeks) are intact, the long genal spines (situated from each side of the cephalon [head]) are still in place. The thoracic segments (main body armoured segments) are complete with spine terminations. The excellent pygidium (tail section) is also present. Further, the deeply furrowed central or thoracic lobe exhibits exceedingly well as light casts shadows over the entirety of the exoskeleton. A magnificent and natural specimen in such a condition elevates this trilobite to the top echelons in trilobite collecting for its location and period.

Paradoxides acadoparadoxides trilobite plate discovered at Sidi Abdallah ben el Hadji fossil formation in Morocco. This specimen fossil plate dates to the Cambrian period which is approximately five hundred and forty to five hundred million years ago. The Paradoxides acadoparadoxides trilobite beds are located in the Atlas mountains, in the Jbel Wawrmast Formation, Zagora region of the Draa Valley, near Sidi Abdullah ben el Hadj village and Alnif, North Africa. The Paradoxides acadoparadoxides trilobites covered perhaps in some underwater cataclysm which petrified and fossilised these trilobites over millions of years.

The process of fossilisation is best achieved in an anoxic environment when sufficiently buried without oxygen bacteria cannot quickly establish on the once-living organisms and so this enables the successful and very rare event of fossilisation. The beautiful palette of colours caused by mineral absorption into the invertebrate's carapaces (exoskeleton) and surrounding matrix (fossil bedrock), created natural earth colours which are mainly due to iron oxides being present in the sediments. The sublime and natural placement of the extinct ocean-dwelling arthropods is aesthetically pleasing with thoracic furrows and appendages creating dramatic shadowy forgotten worlds.

Topical Note: This type of Moroccan trilobite plate is susceptible to forgery by unscrupulous Moroccan sellers, these copies are prolific in the fossil marketplace in Africa and the rest of the world. Because of the nature of the limestone, which is very forgiving, replicas cast from original fossil trilobites have been manufactured in the past.

Genus: Paradoxides acadoparadoxides briareus (Geyer, 1993)
Age: Palaeozoic era, Mid Cambrian, 540,000,000 - 500,000,000 years ago.
Origin: Jbel Wawrmast Formation, of Zagora region, the Draa Valley, near Alnifi, Sidi Abdullah ben el Hadj village, Morocco, North Africa.

Overall measurements.
Height: 62.0 cm TBC
Width: 43.0 cm
Depth: 12.5 cm

Plate measurements.
Height: 52.0 cm
Width: 43.0 cm
Plate Thickness: 3.5 cm

Paradoxides measurements.
Length: 42.0 cm
Width: 29.5 cm
Depth: 1.5 cm (carapace off plate)

Overall weight: 13.000 Kg TBC
Trilobite plate weight: 12.000 Kg TBC