Invertebrate Fossils For Sale
Invertebrates are some of the most diverse creatures on
Earth. The term "invertebrate" essentially means the animal has no
backbones. Invertebrates include arthropods (such as crabs, insects,
spiders and trilobites), gastropods, molluscs (such as octopi and ammonites),
and numerous other examples.
The most common invertebrates on the fossil market are probably trilobites, ammonites, shrimp, gastropods, baculites, belemnites, crinoids (sea lillies), and insects.
With approximately 17,000 known species, trilobites were highly successful and varied. They survived for nearly 300 million years, only to go extinct during the "Permian extinction".
Ammonites were closely related to octopi, squid, and other similar animals and their shells resembled that of the nautilus. Though most were small, the one of the largest ever recorded had a shell measuring in at about 8.5 feet across! Unfortunately, the ammonites died out with the dinosaurs at the end of the cretaceous.
The most common invertebrates on the fossil market are probably trilobites, ammonites, shrimp, gastropods, baculites, belemnites, crinoids (sea lillies), and insects.
With approximately 17,000 known species, trilobites were highly successful and varied. They survived for nearly 300 million years, only to go extinct during the "Permian extinction".
Ammonites were closely related to octopi, squid, and other similar animals and their shells resembled that of the nautilus. Though most were small, the one of the largest ever recorded had a shell measuring in at about 8.5 feet across! Unfortunately, the ammonites died out with the dinosaurs at the end of the cretaceous.
Click photos for large versions
Item 157 Trilobite (Eldredgeops rana
crassituberculata). Middle Devonian. Silica formation, Sylvania,
Ohio. Formerly known as Phacops. Look at those darned-near perfect
eyes!. $225
Item 048 Crinoid (Pentacrinites sp.) plate.
Lower Jurassic. Lyme Regis, Dorset, England. $30
Item 085 Belemnite plate. South Dakota.
$30
Item 101 Barnacle. Miocene. Virginia.
$7
Item 206 Trilobite (Cheirurus gibbus). Middle
Devonian, 350 MYA. Erfoud, Morocco. Formerly known as
Crotalocephalus. A very nice semi-rolled specimen. An
interesting note about this trilobite: I've had another one of these in my
collection for some time now. Upon inspection, it looked as if somebody
had painted an elaborate, black-dot pattern on the trilobite's head to "spice it
up". After receiving this trilobite, I noticed the same black pattern
(visible in the last photo). Confused, I did a little bit of research, and
it turns out those patterns do occur naturally (they are not painted on) and are
an indication of the trilobite's coloration when it was alive! This
trilobite is a good deal at $150
Item 212 Trilobite (Cheirurus gibbus). Middle
Devonian, 350 MYA. Southern, Morocco. Formerly known as
Crotalocephalus. $100
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text, photos, and website Copyright Nick Pfannenstiel
2010 paleo-nick@nicksfossils.com
Item 141 Insect. Cretaceous, 100 mya. Crato
Formation, Nova Olinda, Ceara, Brazil. A very nice insect with great
definition. $50
Item 147 Eurypterus remipes. Silurian. Fiddler’s Green Quarry (Langs), Bertie Formation,
Herkimer County, New York $150
Item 172 Crucilobiceras densinodulum ammonite. Jurassic.
Charmouth,
Dorset. Very nice pyrite specimen. $40