Fossils of the Marble Mountains

Slather on the sunscreen and join Alessandro for this one-day field class right off the historic Route 66 in the middle of the Mojave.

This is a moderate activity — less than 5 miles of walking, multiple hours outdoors in the elements.

Alessandro Grippo, Ph.D., Geological Sciences, University of Southern California, has researched and taught geology, oceanography, stratigraphy, environmental geology, and field classes at Santa Monica College and several California State University campuses. Alessandro has a keen interest in the geology of the American Southwest and loves exploring, learning, and sharing his passion for Earth and its history.

The Marble Mountains are a rather small mountain range located in one of the harshest, driest parts of the Mojave Desert in southeastern California, near the towns of Chambless and Cadiz. What makes the Marble Mountains especially attractive to paleontologists is the comparatively rich Cambrian fossil biota, dominated by one of the earliest known groups of arthropods — trilobites. Slather on the sunscreen and join Alessandro for this one-day field class right off historic Route 66 in the Mojave.

Photo credit: Bob Grubbs, Desert Institute Volunteer