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Trilobite Phacops araw

Item number: Tri008

  • Fossil: Trilobite, Phacops araw MCKELLAR & CHATTERTON 2009
  • Formation: Middle Devonian, Eifelian, about 390 million years old
  • Locality: Jbel el Mrakib, Morocco
  • Size: about 10 cm/ 3.9 inches long (if prone), Width of cephalon: 4,6 cm/ 1.8 inches  
  • Signed certificate of authenticity included

Description: This trilobite is a very nice, half rolled phacopid from the Middle Devonian of Morocco.

This piece comes from the classic locality Jbel el Mrakib and is characterized by a strong and very well preserved shell, which impresses especially by its large pores, fine tubercles and excellently preserved eyes. The trilobite was prepared in about 19 hours of painstaking detail work from the limestone and presents itself harmoniously on natural matrix. To prevent damage, trilobites from this locality must be prepared with great patience, as the rock sometimes adheres strongly to the shell. Without the necessary caution, ugly prep marks and abraded shell are inevitable. For this reason most of the phacopids offered for sale are more or less damaged.

This piece was glued together from two parts at the beginning of the preparation (see photo of the finding condition). Afterwards a detailed and careful uncovering under the microscope took place with the help of high precision air tools and fine air abrasives. No restorations or reconstructions were made.  Particularly noteworthy is the wonderful detail preservation of the shell, especially the fine tuberculation and the excellently preserved lenses.

As with all of my fossils, this specimen is accompanied by a signed certificate of authenticity. 

  • MCKELLAR, R. C., & CHATTERTON, B. D. E. (2009). Early and Middle Devonian Phacopidae (Trilobita) of Southern Morocco. Paleontographica Canadiana, 28, 110.
The Locality Jbel el Mrakib in Morocco