EUR001 - LARGEST NEARLY 3 FOOT DEVONIAN SEA SCORPION EURYPTERID WITH 3-DIMENSIONAL DETAIL FROM GERMANY - ONE OF THREE KNOWN

Product Description

ITEM # 

EUR001

ID

Eurypterid

FOUND

Oberlahr, Rhineland - Palatinate, Germany

AGE

LOWER DEVONIAN (EMSIAN):  407 - 397.5 million years ago

SIZE

39" by 29" overall with rock,
eurypterid is 31.5" (80 cm) in length if straightened

CONDITION

REPAIR WITH CRACK FILLING - NO FABRICATION
PIGMENT GENUINE ON ORIGINAL HOST ROCK - BACK
REINFORCED WITH EPOXY AND PLATE FOR HANGING.

NOTE

AVERAGE LENGTH OF EURYPTERIDS IS 4-6", THIS
ONE AT NEARLY 32"! - ONLY THREE SPECIMENS OF THIS
TYPE KNOWN - A TRUE SCIENTIFIC RARITY

Actual Item - One Only

Comes with a certificate of authenticity / information sheet

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CLICK HERE TO LEARN MORE ABOUT EURYPTERIDS (SEA SCORPIONS)

Over the many years of collecting, preparing and offering a variety of fossil specimens that surpass what most museums possess, there are some that will always remain fondly in our memories.  This specimen most definitely will be one of them!  It is an  EXTREMELY RARE (one of only three specimens like this are known to exist) giant and complete prehistoric SEA SCORPION or also otherwise known as an EURYPTERID.  With most fossil eurypterids varying in length from 4 to 6 inches, this amazing specimen approaches 32 inches in length if it were to be straightened.  Scientists know that much larger examples of these creatures existed despite the extreme rarity of fossils of the larger varieties.  In rare instances of finding fossils of giant eurypterids, the majority of cases involve finding only body parts or partial fragments of these creatures.  Complete specimens of these large prehistoric arthropods are seldom seen even in scientific publications, not to mention museum inventories.  

Collected several decades ago when it was legal to dig in the deposit (long since closed and protected by the Germany government) and recently prepared in our lab, this is a complete Early Devonian fossil of a giant sea scorpion too rare to be accurately attributed to a specific genus due to the scarcity of known specimens.  It is one of only three complete specimens of its kind we know of that exist.  One of the three is now in the national museum in Germany and this is the better of the remaining two that are privately owned.  Never before have we witnessed a large eurypterid of this dimension and nature being available for public sale and due to the deposit being protected and closed to public collecting long ago, it is certain you will not see one like it for sale ever again.

Lacking the necessary anatomy of the giant Pterygotus which reached 2.5 meters, this specimen is likely a monstrous example of another clade as Tetlie writes that most eurypterid clades could have had creatures approaching 100 cm.  The lack of claws and long swimming appendages is unusual and not typical for most eurypterids.  It is not missing this anatomy in the fossil, but did not possess them originally making this a type of a lesser seen variety.  Based on the presence of its segmented, pointed appendages rather than paddle-shaped legs typically seen in swimming varieties, this anatomy would seem to be designed for crawling on the bottom of a brackish marine environment and possibly up onto dry land as is theorized, rather than it be of a type more akin to swimming.  The tail lacks a long telson and the entire body is segmented with  excellent mineralization of the carapace in its original colors of burnt gold, brown and orange.  Most impressive is the the multi-dimensional form of the fossil and anatomy of this massive creature.  Much of the body is raised off the rock, especially the most posterior portion of the abdomen and some of the appendages, as well as the head (cephalon).  The color is natural and the specimen has only restoration limited to filling in of cracks as it was found in pieces and required repair that is typical for such large fossils of this nature.  The pose is slightly distorted with the head bent backwards and one appendage appears to have been folded beneath it when it was originally buried prior to fossilization.  Further information would be appreciated on this specimen from qualified academic professionals.  

Eurypterids are fascinating fossils and represent what many to believe to be the first life-forms that progressed out of water onto dry land.  Museums that display eurypterids most commonly possess the typical small varieties that are found still today from rich deposits like those in New York, USA.  It is certain that any institution that possessed THIS spectacular specimen would make any and all its visitors beyond impressed should it be put on display or publicized in the media.   For such a rare and invaluable example like this to be part of a public display, such an acquisition would immediately elevate the prominence of such a collection, without question.  Not only does this fossil represent a scientific keystone in the progression and variety of Earth's life-forms and natural history, IT IS A REMARKABLY IMPRESSIVE FOSSIL TO SEE IN PERSON and would surely be a central specimen in ANY collection.   For trilobite or other fossil arthropod collections, this would definitely be one of the central specimens of visitor interest in a public or private forum.  This specimen represents one of the most valuable and prized acquisitions a fancier of natural history could ever hope to possess. 

Many rare fossils are not visually impressive and many visually impressive fossils are not rare. 

This is one of those prize discoveries that is BOTH!