Walliserops trifurcatus (Trident comura) Moroccan Trilobite

This trilobite is a member of the Order Phacopida, Family Acastidae from the Devonian deposits of Foum Ziguid, Morocco known commercially as the Trident Comura. The trilobite was named Walliserops trifurcatus by Pierre Morzadec. Chatterton and Brett had erected the genus Parabolops, with the long-forked trident being Parabolops neptunis and the short-forked Parabolops hammi. Some think the differences may be the result of sexual dimorphism. Radical differences between the sexes are common in Arthropods (see some of the scarab beetles, for example). Whatever you call it, this is a spectacular example. There are fully 50 spines prepared freestanding on the cephalon as well as those on the axial and pleural lobes, making for a dramatic display. The diagnostic trident has been prepared freestanding as well. Unlike many trilobites prepared in Morocco, this one was done using the same painstaking microabrasive techniques as here in the US.

Also see: Moroccan Trilobites