Flexicalymene ouzregui, a common Ordovician trilobite found in Morocco
The Moroccan fossil trade is the large industry surrounding the excavation, preparation and international sale of fossils from Morocco. Morocco contains some of the world's richest fossil sites and has seen international interest from fossil collectors since the early 20th century. As interest in collecting fossils grew in the late 20th century, the Moroccan fossil trade grew into a lucrative industry of its own. More than 50,000 Moroccans earn their living in mining, trading or exporting fossils and the industry itself is worth more than $40 million annually. The booming industry is so big that some commentators have referred to it as "fossil capitalism" or a "trilobite economy".
The fossil industry has been the source of various concerns. Some commentators worry that the industrial-scale excavations and insufficient governmental regulations are damaging Morocco's paleontological heritage. The export of fossils from Morocco is technically illegal, though the relevant laws are often not sufficient, or not applied in practice. There are also concerns for the safety and welfare of the fossil diggers themselves, who are often paid very little (considerably less than exporters and middlemen) and suffer through difficult working conditions . Scientific concerns have also been raised in that fossils may end up in the marketplace rather than available for scientific research, and that important fossils may be destroyed or neglected and lost due to being deemed to not be of commercial interest. The issue is made more complicated due to there for many of the fossil diggers themselves not being any other jobs available and that the fossil industry ensures an income, however meager.
In addition to its economical impacts, Morocco's fossil trade has had some positive scientific impact. Many important scientific discoveries have been made based on Moroccan fossils. Without the markets and international trade network supporting the fossil diggers and preparators in Morocco, it is unlikely that as many new species would have been uncovered.
and 29 Related for: Moroccan fossil trade information
The Moroccanfossiltrade is the large industry surrounding the excavation, preparation and international sale of fossils from Morocco. Morocco contains...
The fossiltrade is the purchase and sale of fossils. This is at times done illegally with stolen fossils, and important scientific specimens are lost...
languages are Arabic and Berber; French and the Moroccan dialect of Arabic are also widely spoken. Moroccan identity and culture is a mix of Arab, Berber...
collect fossils and study fossils as amateurs. Professionals and amateurs alike collect fossils for their scientific value. A commercial trade in fossils has...
their evolution, and fossil history). Wells, Spencer (2004). The Journey of Man : A Genetic Odyssey. New York: Random House Trade Paperbacks. ISBN 978-0-8129-7146-0...
in 2020, imported fossil fuels—coal, oil, and gas—accounted for over 80% of Morocco's electricity generation. It outlines that Morocco has developed a plan...
of Georgia, Armenia, Iran, and Azerbaijan. The oldest known definitive fossil is from the Early Pliocene of Greece, but specimens referred to as Testudo...
Timbuktu (1893), Mauritania, Morocco (1912), Niger, and Tunisia (1881). By the beginning of the 20th century, the trans-Saharan trade had clearly declined because...
with free trade with both the European Union and the United States as a "select group" that includes Colombia, Israel, Jordan, Mexico, Morocco, and Peru...
considered a "living fossil" because scientists thought it was the sole remaining member of a taxon otherwise known only from fossils, with no close relations...
the Moroccan economy into a modern monetarized cash economy.: 33 In 1860, the Treaty of Wad Ras following the Hispano-Moroccan War forced Morocco to pay...
earliest known groups of arthropods. The first appearance of trilobites in the fossil record defines the base of the Atdabanian stage of the Early Cambrian period...
northern Morocco: evidences of predation" (PDF). Go-South Bulletin. 15: 172–179. van Uhm, D. P. (2016). "Monkey business: the illegal trade in Barbary...
mitigation in Morocco is reducing energy use. The government hopes to reduce energy use 15% from 2016 levels to 2030. In 2018, the Moroccan Agency for Sustainable...
Marc Lasry (born September 23, 1959) is a Moroccan American billionaire businessman and private equity manager. He is the co-founder and chief executive...
year). The data only consider carbon dioxide emissions from the burning of fossil fuels and cement manufacture, but not emissions from land use, land-use...
remains from Middle East history. It is also the home of the first hominid fossil skull found in Western Asia, called Galilee Man. Israeli cuisine includes...
anthropologists discovered many fossils and evidence of human occupation perhaps as early as seven million years ago (Before present, BP). Fossil remains of several...
has been controversial. Foreign companies operating under Moroccan concession in Moroccan Sahara - companies such as Total, Svitzer, Nopec, and Kerr-McGee...
year). The data only consider carbon dioxide emissions from the burning of fossil fuels and cement manufacture, but not emissions from land use, land-use...
Retrieved 27 April 2023. "Morocco Traditional Oases" (PDF). LabOasis. Retrieved 27 April 2023. Wallace, Eric J. (2019-04-01). "The Moroccan Food Forest That Inspired...
South Africa, of which Mrs. Ples and the Taung Child are the most famous fossils. Homo ergaster arrives in South Africa. The Border Cave is occupied, with...
This article records new taxa of fossil mammals of every kind that are scheduled to be described during the year 2024, as well as other significant discoveries...
remains of Ethiopia, Jebel Irhoud remains of Morocco, and Florisbad remains of South Africa; later fossils from the Skhul Cave in Israel and Southern Europe...
lost its rank as Switzerland's primary energy source, as other imported fossil fuels, such as crude and refined oil and natural and refined gas, increased...
when a Berber dynasty—the Moroccan Almoravids—took over al-Andalus; they were succeeded by the Almohad dynasty of Morocco, during which time al-Andalus...
Bucerotiformes. The fossil record of the hoopoes is very incomplete, with the earliest fossil coming from the Quaternary. The fossil record of their relatives...
Global Information