Frozen by ashes

Artwork created to illustrate the work of Prof. El Albani and colleagues (2024) that report two species (Gigoutella mauretanica and Protolenus) of beautifully preserved trilobites from the Cambrian Period of Morocco (more than 500 million years). The fossils reveal fine details of their anatomy and even tiny brachiopods living on one of the trilobite's cephalon. The incredible preservation is the cause of a quick burial by volcanic ashes in shallow water. This illustration was chosen for the Science magazine cover (Volume 384, Issue 6703).

Link for the paper: https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/science.adl4540