Olenellus clarki

Early Cambrian

Latham Shale

Providence Mountains, CA USA.

Near complete 54mm on 118mm slab.

Trilobite. Arthropod. Olenellid.

Olenellus is one of the oldest trilobite genera in the fossil record.  It lived only during the Early Cambrian but is known from various localities across North America.  It had a rather flat body relative to later trilobites.

Here’s an affordable specimen for the casual collector who wants a sample of one of the more ancient fossils.