Ordovician, 485-443 million years BP. A group of two early fossils comprising: a stromatolite bearing the collector's label 'Stromatolite, uncertain period but early, Morocco', and graptolites on shale bearing the collector's label 'Graptolite, Didymonograptus murchisoni, Ordovician, c.470 million years old, From the type site at Llanvirn Series, Abereidy, Dyfed, Wales'. 257 grams total, 85-102mm (3 1/4 - 4"). Ex Bernard C. Pickard collection, Hampshire, UK. Stromatolites are layered bio-chemical accretionary structures formed in shallow water by the trapping, binding and cementation of sedimentary grains by biofilms (microbial mats) of microorganisms. The earliest stromatolites may date from more than 3.5 billion years ago. Contents Graptolites are fossil colonial animals known chiefly from the Upper Cambrian through to the Lower Carboniferous (Mississippian). The name graptolite comes from the Greek graptos, meaning written, and lithos, meaning rock, as many graptolite fossils resemble hieroglyphs written on the rock. [2, No Reserve]

Fine condition.