Description
This is an Exceptional Double Fossil Crab from the deposits of Monterey, California.
These are very well preserved crabs and an excellent example of this species. The location where they come from is well known. Because the rock is so hard the fossils are preserved in great detail. The detail in this fossil is amazing.
These crabs are discovered along California’s central coast. This is a great Double Fossil Crab block. But the crabs are found in the abundant shale south of Monterey Bay within the Monterey Shale. Because they are found In a very specific layer the fossils are preserved in incredible detail.
The genus of pea crabs, Pinnixa, still live today and even along the California Coastline, from Baja to the Pacific Northwest these fossils are abundant in the Western Pacific.
This Exceptional Double Fossil Crab block exhibits wonderful detail and is excellently prepared. The crabs are fully prone and exhibits great detail in all body sections. Even the pincers are visible. Because there is only one location where they are found, they are in high demand. This is a prone crab in life position. There are many various trilobites found in this deposit. because of the exceptional preservation each detail of the trilobite can clearly be seen.
The Monterey Shale is a Miocene Epoch deposit. Because that part of California was once the bottom of a shallow salt water sea, fossil pea Crabs can be found. The Pea Crab was buried in soft mud that preserved it quickly. Because it was buried quickly, scavengers were not able to eat or tear it apart.
These Prone crabs are very showy because of the rich caramel color and the creamy beige color of the rock. They are 1 1/4 and 1 1/8 inch wide and sit on a irregular shaped matrix that is 2 1/4 by 4 inches.
