The PaleoDeserts Journal

Fossil Guides

Guides to the fossils of Morocco: the regions, the animals, and how to choose and care for a specimen.

Starting a Fossil Collection: A Guide for New Collectors
01

October 2026 · 1 min read

Starting a Fossil Collection: A Guide for New Collectors

Choose a theme, start with well-documented specimens, keep good records: a practical guide to beginning a fossil collection.

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Decorating with Fossils: Displaying Natural History at Home
02

October 2026 · 2 min read

Decorating with Fossils: Displaying Natural History at Home

Placement, scale, light and stands: how to give a fossil the presence it deserves in a living room, library or office.

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How Much Is a Dinosaur Tooth Worth? What Sets the Price
03

October 2026 · 2 min read

How Much Is a Dinosaur Tooth Worth? What Sets the Price

Species, size, preservation, repairs and restoration: the factors that decide what a Spinosaurus or Carcharodontosaurus tooth is worth.

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How Fossils Are Prepared: From the Rock to the Collection
04

October 2026 · 2 min read

How Fossils Are Prepared: From the Rock to the Collection

Excavation, jacketing, air scribes and consolidants: the stages of fossil preparation and what they mean when you read a specimen description.

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What Is a Fossil Matrix? Understanding Fossils in Their Original Rock
05

October 2026 · 2 min read

What Is a Fossil Matrix? Understanding Fossils in Their Original Rock

The rock around a fossil is part of its story. What matrix is, how it forms, and what to look for in a fossil presented in matrix.

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Plesiosaur Fossils from Morocco: Zarafasaura and the Long-Necked Reptiles
06

October 2026 · 2 min read

Plesiosaur Fossils from Morocco: Zarafasaura and the Long-Necked Reptiles

Long-necked elasmosaurs and short-necked polycotylids: the plesiosaurs of Cretaceous Morocco, from Goulmima to the Oulad Abdoun phosphates.

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How to Care for Your Fossil: Cleaning, Display and Storage
07

October 2026 · 1 min read

How to Care for Your Fossil: Cleaning, Display and Storage

Simple rules to keep your fossil looking its best for decades: where to display it, how to clean it, and what to avoid.

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Ammonites Explained: Age, Species and How to Choose One
08

October 2026 · 1 min read

Ammonites Explained: Age, Species and How to Choose One

What ammonites were, how long they lived, why they are so useful to geologists, and what to look for when choosing one.

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Fossil Shark Teeth of Morocco: Otodus, Cretolamna and More
09

October 2026 · 1 min read

Fossil Shark Teeth of Morocco: Otodus, Cretolamna and More

Morocco's phosphate mines produce millions of fossil shark teeth. A guide to the main species, from megalodon's ancestor Otodus to the serrated crow shark.

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Moroccan Trilobites: A Collector's Species Guide
10

October 2026 · 1 min read

Moroccan Trilobites: A Collector's Species Guide

From the trident-headed Walliserops to big-eyed phacopids, a guide to the Devonian trilobites of Morocco's Anti-Atlas.

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The Kem Kem Beds: Morocco's Cretaceous River of Giants
11

October 2026 · 2 min read

The Kem Kem Beds: Morocco's Cretaceous River of Giants

Spinosaurus, Carcharodontosaurus, giant pterosaurs and crocodile relatives: meet the predator-packed river system of Cretaceous Morocco.

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Spinosaurus vs Carcharodontosaurus Teeth: How to Tell Them Apart
12

October 2026 · 2 min read

Spinosaurus vs Carcharodontosaurus Teeth: How to Tell Them Apart

Both giant predators lived in Cretaceous Morocco, but their teeth look very different. A simple guide to identifying them.

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