Souss-Massa: Moroccan geologist Abderrazak El Albani reveals a 515-million-year-old marine Pompeii

Moroccan geologist Abderrazak El Albani, accompanied by his team from the University of Poitiers in France, has unearthed a marine ecosystem petrified in volcanic ash dating back at least 515 million years. Known for his revolutionary discoveries, El Albani continues to shed light on the history of life on Earth with this new exceptional find. A fossilised site of inestimable value, nicknamed the "marine Pompeii," has been discovered in Morocco, revealing a petrified ecosystem 515 million years old. Behind this discovery is Moroccan geologist Abderrazak El Albani, whose research published in the prestigious journal "Science" highlights the exceptional geological heritage of the Souss-Massa region.

El Albani and his team discovered an entire marine ecosystem, frozen instantly in volcanic ash, similar to the way the eruption of Vesuvius preserved the city of Pompeii 2,000 years ago. "This site offers a unique window into marine organisms, notably trilobites, dating back 515 million years," explains El Albani, highlighting the importance of preserving this heritage.

Passionate about the origins of life and evolution, El Albani has distinguished himself with major discoveries, notably in Gabon where he unearthed multicellular life forms much older than expected. In the Tatlet geological formation, at Aït Youb in the Souss-Massa-Draâ region, he has this time discovered trilobites, prehistoric marine insects, frozen in their entirety by a volcanic eruption.

For palaeontologists, this discovery is exceptional. Until now, trilobites were only known by their calcite exoskeletons, the only part of their body to fossilise. However, this volcanic eruption froze the living trilobites, including their internal organs and muscles, allowing for unprecedented preservation.

The study of the fossils was carried out using X-ray micro-tomography, an imaging technique that allows specimens to be examined without extracting them from the rock. Using 3D technology, El Albani's team reconstructed the bodies of these arthropods with exceptional precision, revealing fine details such as hairs, spines, the digestive tract, and even the microorganisms present in their mouths.

Furthermore, the team identified two new species of trilobites, distinct by their labrum, a sort of upper lip. These discoveries not only enrich our understanding of trilobites, but they also open new perspectives on the evolution of the first marine ecosystems.