FREDERICK, Va., Dec. 22 (UPI) -- A fossilized trilobite about 400 million years old has been stolen from a Frederick, Va., rock shop, police said.
Trilobites, ancient marine animals, are said to be second only to the dinosaur in popularity among collectors of ancient fossils, The Washington Post reported Wednesday.
Richard Constant Bailey, owner of the Earthly Elements rock shop, said the fossil, which he was selling for $487, was in an unlocked display case when it "happened to walk away."
"Somebody opened up the display case," which was not locked, he said, and made off with the 4-inch-long fossil, which he described as a "true collector's piece."
Smaller items disappear every few days, he said, but the trilobite was his most substantial loss.
The fossil, found in the northern Sahara desert and acquired from a British collector, was "very well prepared" and probably the best quality trilobite he had ever had in the store, Bailey said.
