Description: Colorful example of a member of the Order Phacopida, Family Phacopidae with many fine details present. It comes from a new location known as Jorf in Morocco, close to the site from which the polished goniatite ammonites originate. The preservation of the exoskeleton takes its rich color from minerals in the water that perfused it post deposition. This trilobite has had a tortuous trip through the taxonomic jungle. First described as a member of the genus Phacops, it was given the specific name of smoothops for the lack of granulation at the base of the visual surface. A few years later, the genus Phacops was sliced and diced into a number of new genera with the establishment of Austerops and Barrandeops. The matrix from Jorf is often harder than that from some other sites, making preparation more difficult. I have included in preparation photos to show this one is a natural double and not a composite.

References:
Palaeontolographica Canadiana No 25,2006, pp 15-17.
Palaeontolographica Canadiana No 28,2009, pp 33-49.