East of Ait Youb, Lemdad Syncline (Cambrian of Morocco)

Where: Morocco (30.8° N, 8.3° W: paleocoordinates 65.0° S, 112.2° E)

• coordinate estimated from map

When: Hupeolenus-Morocconus notabilis trilobite zone, Tatelt Formation (Tata Group), Stage 4 (514.0 - 509.0 Ma)

• uppermost Tatelt Formation, "Cambrian Series 2, Stage 4; upper Hupeolenus–lower Morocconus notabilis zones"

Environment/lithology: shoreface; lithified, pebbly sandstone

• "shallow marine, storm- and wave-dominated shoreface to foreshore setting"
• pyroclastic layer; "sheet-like unit dominated by thick-bedded sandstones (fig. S1). Volcanic activity was prevalent at the time of deposition" "The sandstone beds consist of medium-to fine-grained hummocky cross-stratified feldspar-rich to lithic sandstone, and medium- to coarse-grained trough cross-bedded lithic sandstone with pebbly layers dominated by volcanic clasts. Layers of cream- to white-coloured, fine-grained volcanic ash are recognized by mineral content and texture (fig. S2). A few thin interbeds of green to grey mudstone are also preserved within these amalgamated sandstones."

Size class: macrofossils

Collected by A. Azizi and A. El Albani in 2015 and 2023

• Reposited at Museum of the Department of Energy and Mines, Rabat, Morocco

Primary reference: A. El Albani, A. Mazurier, G.D. Edgecombe, A. Azizi, A. El Bakhouch, H.O. Berks, E.H. Bouougri, I. Chraiki, P.C.J. Donoghue, C. Fontaine, R.R. Gaines, M. Ghnahalla, A. Meunier and A. J.R. Trentesaux Paterson. 2024. Rapid volcanic ash entombment reveals the 3D anatomy of Cambrian trilobites. Science 384(6703):1429-1435 [P. Novack-Gottshall/P. Novack-Gottshall]more details

Purpose of describing collection: taxonomic analysis

PaleoDB collection 235700: authorized by Phil Novack-Gottshall, entered by Phil Novack-Gottshall on 21.07.2024

Creative Commons license: CC BY (attribution)

Taxonomic list

Show authors, comments, and common names
Brachiopoda
  -
Brachiopoda indet.
Brachiopoda indet. Cuvier 1805
Trilobita
  -
Trilobita indet.
Trilobita indet. Walch 1771 trilobite
 Redlichiida - Palaeolenidae
"Xandarella mauretanica n. sp." = Gigoutella mauretanica
"Xandarella mauretanica n. sp." = Gigoutella mauretanica Ortega-Hernández et al. 2017 trilobite
 Redlichiida - Ellipsocephalidae
Protolenus (Hupeolenus) sp.
Protolenus (Hupeolenus) sp. Geyer 1990 trilobite
 Ichnofossils -
Planolites sp., Cruziana sp.
Planolites sp. Nicholson 1873
Cruziana sp. d'Orbigny 1842