Calymene Trilobite Fossil Morocco – Ktaoua Group Fossil

This Calymene Trilobite Fossil has a beautifully defined, broad body with numerous raised segments clearly visible across the fossil. Its natural golden-brown, ochre and darker brown tones create attractive contrast between the individual body sections, while the rounded head and tapered tail give the specimen a strong overall shape. The natural surface and varied earthy colouring add to its character, making it an engaging piece for both new and experienced fossil collectors.

Specimen Details

✓ SPECIMEN: Calymene Trilobite Fossil
✓ SPECIES: Colpocoryphe sp.
✓ AGE: Upper Ordovician, approximately 445 million years old
✓ FORMATION: Ktaoua Group
✓ LOCATION: Jebel Tiskouine, Anti-Atlas Region, Morocco
✓ SIZE: 40mm × 69mm × 24mm
✓ WEIGHT: 76 grams
✓ CONDITION: No repairs

The Story Behind the Fossil

Trilobites were ancient marine arthropods that lived in Earth's oceans for more than 250 million years. They first appeared during the Cambrian Period, around 520 million years ago, and evolved into thousands of different species. Their distinctive bodies were divided into a head, a segmented middle section and a tail, protected by a hard outer skeleton. This durable exoskeleton is one of the reasons trilobites are so commonly found in the fossil record and remain popular with collectors today.

The trilobite represented by this specimen, Colpocoryphe sp., lived during the Upper Ordovician, roughly 445 million years ago. At that time, the area that is now Morocco was part of a marine environment, with trilobites living on or around the ancient seafloor. They were part of a diverse marine ecosystem and different trilobite species adopted different lifestyles, including crawling across the seafloor, burrowing and searching through sediment for food. Their diets varied, but could include organic material, small organisms and decaying matter.

The rocks around Jebel Tiskouine in Morocco's Anti-Atlas Region preserve evidence of these ancient marine environments within the Ktaoua Group. After trilobites died, their remains could become covered by sediment on the seafloor. Over millions of years, the sediment hardened into rock and the remains became fossilised. Geological changes eventually uplifted these ancient marine rocks, while erosion exposed the fossil-bearing layers now found in the Anti-Atlas. Trilobites survived through numerous changes in Earth's oceans before finally disappearing during the end-Permian mass extinction around 252 million years ago.

Bring Ancient History to Life

A Calymene Trilobite Fossil Morocco specimen makes a fascinating addition to a fossil collection, curiosity cabinet or natural history display. With its clearly visible segmentation and natural earthy colours, this is a wonderful way to own and explore a tangible piece of life from an ocean that existed hundreds of millions of years ago.