Neoasaphus kowalewskii
These two views illustrate the unique feature of this Middle Ordovician specimen of Neoasaphus kowalewskii. You can easily imagine that extracting a specimen with the eyes intact is next to impossible. The eyes must be removed separately and reattached with glue. As nearly as I can determine, all of the specimens of this species come from a single deposit in Russia near St. Petersburg. They are exceedingly valuable in collections, with good specimens costing several hundred dollars, but they can sometimes be purchased on the streets in Russia for a pittance. This has led to the development of a whole industry in which other species of Asaphus that lack the stalked eyes are converted into "Asaphus kowalewskii" with stalked eyes by clever Russian entrepreneurs!
The genus is in Family Asaphidae (U. Cambrian - Ordovician), Suborder Asaphina with the same range, in the huge Order Ptychopariacea (L. Cambrian - Ordovician).
These two views illustrate the unique feature of this Middle Ordovician specimen of Neoasaphus kowalewskii. You can easily imagine that extracting a specimen with the eyes intact is next to impossible. The eyes must be removed separately and reattached with glue. As nearly as I can determine, all of the specimens of this species come from a single deposit in Russia near St. Petersburg. They are exceedingly valuable in collections, with good specimens costing several hundred dollars, but they can sometimes be purchased on the streets in Russia for a pittance. This has led to the development of a whole industry in which other species of Asaphus that lack the stalked eyes are converted into "Asaphus kowalewskii" with stalked eyes by clever Russian entrepreneurs!
The genus is in Family Asaphidae (U. Cambrian - Ordovician), Suborder Asaphina with the same range, in the huge Order Ptychopariacea (L. Cambrian - Ordovician).