1.1" Long-Spined Cyphaspides Trilobite - Jorf, Morocco

This is an elegant example of a hard to find, long-spined Cyphaspides trilobite from Jorf, Morocco. It has a transluscent shell preservation, so that it takes on the reddish/purple color of the rock underneath. It's about 1.2" around the curve which is about average for the species with excellent shell detail and preparation.

I collected this locality when I was in Morocco two years ago. The rock at this site is partially metamorphised, massive and has no discernible layers. It's almost amazing that there are well preserved trilobites in the rock given the geological changes that it has gone through.

Unlike nearly all other trilobite localities in Morocco, there are no layers that can be followed. This means that collecting mostly involves breaking down the boulders on the surface. The rock is pretty limited, so it's not like other localities where diggers can simply follow a layer for miles. The rock also has a glass-like property which makes preparation extremely difficult and time consuming.

The last two photos shows us collecting the locality.