Dramatic Early Cambrian Trilobite

Description: Description: The Issafen Formation of the Anti-Atlas region of Moroccoo has recently become something of a Gold Rush for the discovery of heretofore unseen trilobites of Early Cambrian age. This one is no exception. I have seen several examples of this taxon, but most are either missing the pygidium or it was tucked under and not prepped out. The axial spines on the posterior most thoracic segments and the pygidium are natural as can be seen in the in-preparation photos included. While one researcher seems to think that that wider specimens are deformed by compression, I fail to see how the axial spine could have withstood such great pressures unscathed, or how these narrower forms have many more spines preserved. I have included a photo of the strata in which most Issafen specimens are currently found with the sites circled in red. The wider examples are concentrated in the higher stratum some 30 meters above the lower layer. Typically the preparators prefer to leave the spines unprepared as seen in the last few photos. I prefer that they be freestanding, and they are willing to accommodate me.