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Lot 1035

Horseshoe Crab – Part and Counterpart

27 May 2010, 13:00 EDT
New York

Sold for US$1,098 inc. premium

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Horseshoe Crab – Part and Counterpart

Mesolimulus waichi
Late Jurassic
Solnhofen, Bavaria, Germany

From the lithographic limestone deposits of Solnhofen, near Eichstatt, Germany, comes this superlative positive/negative specimen of a Mesolimulus waichi. This locality is famous for the exceptionally well-preserved organisms found in its golden-toned limestone shale. Mesolimulus spent most of its time burrowing just beneath the surface of muddy lagoon bottoms in search of food, most likely 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. The overall preservation of this example is superb. A fine acquisition for any serious fossil collection, it is equally desirable to the amateur lover of paleontology due to its highly decorative nature. (2) Measures 19.5 x 11in; Specimen measures 5in

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