Euzonosoma Tischbeinianum

Euzonosoma tischbeinianum is an extinct species of brittlestar (class Ophiuroidea) that existed approximately 380 million years ago during the Lower Devonian period. Famous for its exquisite preservation in the Bundenbach (Hunsrück) slate of Germany, these fossils are often naturally replaced with iron pyrite ("fool's gold")

It belongs to the order Oegophiurida and the family Encrinasteridae.Origin: Specimens are exclusively found in the Hunsrück Slate near Bundenbach, Germany—a geological region renowned for preserving soft-part anatomy.Locomotion: Unlike modern brittlestars that use muscular movements to "walk" across the sea floor, E. tischbeinianum utilized a form of podial walking (moving with their tube feet) due to the distinct structure of their arm ossicles.Preservation: The slate creates stunning visual contrast. Because the quarries for roofing slate have been closed for decades, these pyritized specimens are increasingly rare and sought-after by collectors.

Hunsrűck Slate

Bundenbach, Germany