Reviews
11" Cluster Of 40+ Austerops Trilobite & Harpid - Jorf, Morocco
This is a truly impressive, mass-morality cluster of trilobites from the "Jorf White Site" at Fezna, Morocco. There are over 40 Austerops trilobites. most prone but some enrolled as well as a single Harpes hamarlaghdadensis. The trilobites are all very 3D and have the "plasticized" appearance that is typical of Jorf material.
This rock is extremely hard and time consuming to prepare so this piece likely took more than 100 hours of preparation work. Total restoration is less than 1% and it comes with a display stand.
This rock is extremely hard and time consuming to prepare so this piece likely took more than 100 hours of preparation work. Total restoration is less than 1% and it comes with a display stand.
Trilobites are collected from a 15-meter-thick section about 6kilometers northwest of Jorf, Morocco. Unlike many other localities, these rocks do not have distinct deposition layers, but rather are massive. They likely represent a gigantic "mud mound" that formed at the base of a volcanic island due to mud slides. The rock is very silicified, almost like a chert, and can be quite colorful. The actual shells on the trilobites are translucent: the trilobite tends to be the color of the rock it sits on.
Because the rock contains a large amount of silica, it is extremely hard, and preparing trilobites from the site is difficult since the rock does not separate well from the shell. Within the 15-meter section, only about two meters have been heavily collected, so occasionally this site will produce some extremely rare and one-of-a-kind specimens collected in float from the other layers.
A view of the collecting locality northwest of Jorf, Morocco
Collecting trilobites at the Jorf locality in 2015
Because the rock contains a large amount of silica, it is extremely hard, and preparing trilobites from the site is difficult since the rock does not separate well from the shell. Within the 15-meter section, only about two meters have been heavily collected, so occasionally this site will produce some extremely rare and one-of-a-kind specimens collected in float from the other layers.
A view of the collecting locality northwest of Jorf, Morocco
Collecting trilobites at the Jorf locality in 2015
About Trilobites
Trilobites were a very diverse group of extinct marine arthropods. They first appeared in the fossil record in the Early Cambrian (521 million years ago) and went extinct during the Permian mass extinction (250 million years ago). They were one of the most successful of the early animals on our planet: over 25,000 species have been described, filling nearly every evolutionary niche. Due in large part to their hard exoskeletons (shells), they left an excellent fossil record.
Trilobites were a very diverse group of extinct marine arthropods. They first appeared in the fossil record in the Early Cambrian (521 million years ago) and went extinct during the Permian mass extinction (250 million years ago). They were one of the most successful of the early animals on our planet: over 25,000 species have been described, filling nearly every evolutionary niche. Due in large part to their hard exoskeletons (shells), they left an excellent fossil record.
$3,950
SPECIES
Austerops sp. & Harpes hamarlaghdadensis
LOCATION
Fezna (Jorf White Site), Morocco
FORMATION
Bou Tchrafine Formation
SIZE
Rock 11 x 7.5", Largest trilobite 1.8"
CATEGORY
SUB CATEGORY
ITEM
#356935
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