Olenellus fremonti
Trilobite
Lower Cambrian
Latham Shale
Providence Mountains, California, USA

Huge 92mm wide cephalon part and counterpart on 175mm shale slab.

Olenellus is a genus of one of the most ancient trilobites. It lived only during the Early Cambrian and is found at sites in western and eastern North America as far north as the Yukon Territory of Canada, as far south as Georgia in the U.S. and up the east coast in Pennsylvania. Its rather flat body is typical of early trilobites. O. fremonti is the largest species.

Normally, an isolated cephalon isn’t that notable as that is what you tend to find when looking for trilobires especially with Olenellus.  This specimen includes both part and counterpart of an unusually large cephalon – an interesting addition to a California trilobite display or a general trilobite collection.