CRUS031 - FOSSIL HORSESHOE CRAB FROM THE JURASSIC OF SOLNHOFEN GERMANY

Product Description

ITEM # 

CRUS031

ID

Mesolimulus

FOUND

Solnhofen Limestone - Solnhofen, Germany

AGE

UPPER JURASSIC (MALM):  154 - 144 million years ago

SIZE

14"x 12" overall, crab 4.3" long

CONDITION

NO REPAIR, RESTORATION OR FABRICATION
100% GENUINE ANATOMY WITH NO TYPICALLY
SEEN CARVING.

NOTE

RARE IN THIS QUALITY - MOST ON THE MARKET
ARE INWARD NEGATIVES OR HEAVILY CARVED WHERE
BODY PARTS ARE ORIGINALLY MISSING.

INCLUDES STAND - Actual Item - One Only

Comes with a certificate of authenticity / information sheet

This particular example far exceeds what is typically encountered in the marketplace.  This is  a POSITIVE outwardly projecting fossil, not a NEGATIVE plate that was split from the actual fossil.  The slab the fossil is on is the original slab to this fossil and it is not broken, repaired or a composite.  The matrix slab is completely intact.  The preparation is exquisite and exposes all the delicate detail of the crab.  Here we actually have original portions of the carapace still intact in the rock as seen above!  Delicate and minute anatomical details you see in the close-up photos are 100% GENUINE AND NATURAL ANATOMY with NO CARVING OR RESTORATION of any kind!  Fossilized crab lacks any damage, missing parts or distortion. 

To sum it up, you won't find a better horseshoe crab fossil than a specimen like this that has this finest quality of 100% natural and complete preservation, with original shell and NO BREAKS to the slab.

This specimen's exceptional detail can be attributed to the meticulous MANUAL HAND PREPARATION in the manner that museum fossils were prepared a hundred years ago.  Since no air abrasives or blasters were used, the entire surface of the surrounding limestone is in a beautiful and very natural state - aesthetic beyond measure!  The original limestone slab is completely natural and unbroken and shows a beautiful natural butter yellow and golden orange tone.  Certainly, one of the most exceptional natural examples of Mesolimulus you will find.

Famous for producing an astonishing diversity of rare and most intricately preserved fossils found anywhere in the world, the Solnhofen Lithographic Limestone Formation of Solnhofen and Eichstatt in southern Germany are legendary.  In light of the quality of fossils that are found in the Solnhofen Formation, this supreme quality and complete Mesolimulus walchi species horseshoe crab fossil exhibits the finest possible preservation and relief that occurs in the deposit.  It is a prize example for the very discriminating collector seeking to acquire only the best fossils available.  Specimens like this are true investments as quality specimens and source deposits rapidly continue to become depleted. 

One of the most famous fossils from the Solnhofen limestones are the horseshoe crab fossils of Mesolimulus.  Mesolimulus is closely related to the modern horseshoe crabs that can be found in shallow tidewaters off the Atlantic coast of northeastern U.S.A. and in some Pacific islands as well as Japan.  This crustacean has a large carapace that covers the head and front portion of the thorax.  This creature has six pairs of legs hidden and protected beneath the shell with the first set having large pincers and the remaining five pairs used in locomotion across the ocean floor. 

Mesolimulus spent most of its time burrowing just beneath the surface of muddy lagoon bottoms in search of food, namely, worms and tiny mollusks.  This horseshoe crab could also crawl out of water for short periods such as during mating season when males and females spawned in wet sand at the water's edge.  Despite their menacing appearance, the horseshoe crab was not a dangerous creature and its long tail was not a weapon but instead, used as a rudder and to aid the crab in righting itself should it be accidentally flipped over.

WARNING:  We have noticed an increasing occurrence of heavily restored and false painted examples in the marketplace of various types of German lithographic limestone fossils.  Similar to the horrid abundance of "fossils" from Lebanon where the entire animal is completely painted including fine outlines of the legs, body and antennae, crustacean fossils from Germany are also painted with the utmost skill and detail.  In many cases, the rock is carved prior to painting to further give the appearance of a "fossil".  This is done with paintbrushes that are just a few bristles thick and the skilled craftspeople that make these "fossils" are able to recreate the finest detail that continues to fool most buyers of shrimp and other crustacean fossils.  If the price seems too good to be true, then that should be the first and foremost 'red flag'. 

The highest grade  100%  GENUINE fossils are rare  and have high worldwide intrinsic value.  There are no 'bargains'.  While fossils from this region can exhibit the finest possible preservation of any site in the world, they are extremely rare and occur with less frequency compared to most other fossil-bearing formations.  The GENUINE presence of minute, finely detailed body parts DRAMATICALLY affects the price!