1.8" Crazy Undescribed Odontopleurid Trilobite - Fezna, Morocco

This is a super rare, undescribed Odontopleurid trilobite from Fezna, Morocco (aka The Jorf White Site). While this trilobites bears many similarities to Ceratonurus it will likely end up being a new genus when formally described. It is only the second example of this species that I'm aware of and nicer than the other one. There are a few examples of a similar species known from the "Jorf Red Site" located about 10km away but that species had several key differences, lacking intermediate pleural thoracic spines and fine pygidial spines.

Including its long flowing spines it measures 2.1" wide and is 1.8" long. It is laid out prone on a 6 x 4.8" section of rock and is superbly prepared with no restoration.

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
A view of the collecting locality northwest of Jorf, Morocco

Collecting trilobites at the Jorf locality in 2015
Collecting trilobites at the Jorf locality in 2015

About Trilobites

Trilobites are an extinct class of marine arthropods that thrived for nearly 270 million years, from the early Cambrian to the end of the Permian period (around 521 to 252 million years ago). They are one of the most successful and diverse groups in the history of life, with over 25,000 described species spanning a wide range of sizes, shapes, and ecological niches. Known for their distinctive, segmented exoskeletons, trilobites provide invaluable insights into the evolutionary history of arthropods and the dynamics of ancient marine ecosystems.
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DETAILS
SPECIES
Undescribed Odontopleurid
LOCATION
Fezna (Jorf White Site), Morocco
FORMATION
Bou Tchrafine Formation
SIZE
2.1" wide, 1.8" long, Rock 6 x 4.8"
SUB CATEGORY
ITEM
#244280
GUARANTEE
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