Rare 515-Million-Year-Old Trilobite Fossils Unearthed in Moroccan ’Marine Pompeii’

Another important discovery in Morocco. International researchers have discovered two new species of trilobites. These are the best-preserved trilobite fossils ever found, with unprecedented anatomical details despite the millions of trilobites collected and studied over the past two centuries. "These petrified fossil arthropods found in their last posture are representatives of a 515-million-year-old (Ma) ecosystem, a marine ’Pompeii’, discovered in volcanic ash layers, in Aït Youb, in the Souss-Massa region of Morocco," says Professor Abderrazak El Albani, co-author of the study in an article published on The Conversation. He was keen to point out that with over 22,000 species discovered, trilobites are undoubtedly the best-known fossil invertebrates.

"As a scientist who has worked on fossils of different ages and locations, discovering fossils in such remarkable preservation in a volcanic environment has been a profoundly exhilarating experience for me," the academic confides, believing that "pyroclastic deposits should become new targets of study, given their exceptional potential for trapping and preserving biological remains, including delicate soft tissues." The geologist will add: "These results should lead to significant discoveries about the evolution of life on our planet Earth."

Greg Edgecombe, curator at the Natural History Museum in London, an arthropod specialist and co-author of the study, is struck by this discovery: "I’ve been studying trilobites for nearly 40 years, but I’ve never felt like I was looking at living animals the way I did with these. I’ve seen a lot of trilobite soft anatomy, but it’s the 3D preservation here that’s really stunning." And to add: "An unexpected outcome of our work is the discovery that volcanic ash in shallow marine environments could be a boon for exceptional fossil preservation." The study was published on the cover of the American magazine, Science.