480 Million Year Old Graptolite Fossil

Around 480 million years ago, this fossil was a species of graptolite called Araneograptus murrayi.

This species lived during the Tremadocian stage of the lower Ordovician period and was preserved in the now famous Fezouata shale deposits of Morocco.

Graptolites were colonial, planktonic organisms with dendritic morphology, meaning they had numerous appendages which fanned out, likely to help gather more food from their environment as they floated through the ocean. This specimen, though incomplete, shows a portion of the fan-like appearance these animals had.

The rock this fossil is preserved in is from a shale that consists of 1,100 meters (3,600 ft) of layer upon layer of deposits. Includes one graptolite specimen in an acrylic capsule.

Photos are representative of typical specimens. Some natural variation in size/shape should be expected.