ID Moroccan Trilobite

[Max10]

Good evening!

 

My name is Max, i'm writing from Italy and i'm new (just did my presentation)  This is my first topic...

 

I want kindly ask you if it is possible to make an identification of the following trilobite.

I tried to make the best photos i can with my cellphone (unfortunately i don't have any other cameras ).

I give you also the information that i have on this trilobite...but i doubt about the taxonomy...

 

Phacops rana africana

Jbel Zguilma (Foum Zguid), near Alnif, Morocco

Emsian, Devonian

Lenght: 6.0 cm

Wide: from 2.5 cm to 3.4 cm

 

I want to say already thanks to all of you! Enjoy your weekend!

 

 

[Darktooth]

@piranha @Kane @Tidgy's Dad might be able to help.

[Top Trilo]

Looks like a reedops to me however lets wait for the people Darktooth mentioned.

[Tidgy's Dad]

I always get these phacopids horribly mixed up, but Reedops sounds good to me. 

Scott will know for sure. 

[Kane]

I’m not as confident with Reedops as they tend to have a more pronounced glabella, and a smoother rather than more tuberculate  ornamentation.

[fifbrindacier]

I agree with Kane, i think this is a Phacops. I also agree with the Rana africana identification.

[fifbrindacier]

To me it also could be a Morocops forteyi.

[Huntonia]

I'd say the ID provided looks fairly accurate, it certainly looks to be a phacops to my eyes. I'm horrible with the species as that often depends on the lense count of the eyes.

[piranha]

Morocops ovatus has the correct range of lens counts per file and similar pattern of wide conical tubercles on the glabella.

This diagram shows the lens frequency variability---note that all 20 exemplars have 5 lenses in the third anterior lens file.

 

 

McKellar, R.C., Chatterton, B.D.E. 2009. Early and Middle Devonian Phacopidae (Trilobita) of Southern Morocco. Palaeontographica Canadiana, 28:1-110  PDF LINK

[fifbrindacier]

As far as i know, tell me if i'm wrong, the name of Rana africana was replaced by Barrandeops ovatus and does Morocops ovatus replace that last one or is it replaced by Morocops forteyi ? I'm a little lost in the names of trilobites because of the numerous changes of nomination.

[piranha]

39 minutes ago, fifbrindacier said:

As far as i know, tell me if i'm wrong, the name of Rana africana was replaced by Barrandeops ovatus and does Morocops ovatus replace that last one or is it replaced by Morocops forteyi ? I'm a little lost in the names of trilobites because of the numerous changes of nomination.

 

Eldredgeops (=Phacops) rana africanus (still valid) was originally described in this paper:

 

Burton, C.J. Eldgredge, N. 1974

Two New Subspecies of Phacops rana [Trilobita] from the Middle Devonian of North-West Africa.

Palaeontology, 17(2):349-363  PDF LINK

 

 

Barrandeops ovatus and B. forteyi were reassigned to Morocops in this paper:

 

Van Viersen, A., Holland, D., Koppka, J. 2017

The Phacopine Trilobite Genera Morocops Basse, 2006 and Adrisiops gen. nov. from the Devonian of Morocco.

Czech Geological Survey, Bulletin of Geosciences, 92(1):13-30  PDF LINK

 

Morocops forteyi is distinctive with a cruciform arrangement of lenses:

[Max10]

8 hours ago, Top Trilo said:

Looks like a reedops to me however lets wait for the people Darktooth mentioned.

 

5 hours ago, Tidgy's Dad said:

I always get these phacopids horribly mixed up, but Reedops sounds good to me. 

Scott will know for sure. 

 

4 hours ago, Kane said:

I’m not as confident with Reedops as they tend to have a more pronounced glabella, and a smoother rather than more tuberculate  ornamentation.

 

4 hours ago, fifbrindacier said:

I agree with Kane, i think this is a Phacops. I also agree with the Rana africana identification.

 

4 hours ago, Huntonia said:

I'd say the ID provided looks fairly accurate, it certainly looks to be a phacops to my eyes. I'm horrible with the species as that often depends on the lense count of the eyes.

Thanks everybody for your support and help, i really appreciate it!

[Max10]

4 hours ago, piranha said:

Morocops ovatus has the correct range of lens counts per file and similar pattern of wide conical tubercles on the glabella.

This diagram shows the lens frequency variability---note that all 20 exemplars have 5 lenses in the third anterior lens file.

 

 

McKellar, R.C., Chatterton, B.D.E. 2009. Early and Middle Devonian Phacopidae (Trilobita) of Southern Morocco. Palaeontographica Canadiana, 28:1-110  PDF LINK

Thanks a lot, piranha! So it's a Morocops ovatus! I'm happy i finally have a correct name for this specimen! Thank you again!

 

Now i would kindly ask you the difference between Phacops and Morocops genus... I know the story of the name Eldredgeops vs Phacops... but i cannot understand which are the main differencies between Phacops and Morocops...it's "only" a matter of lens counts or there are also other features? Now i have only two trilobites in my collection (this one and a Hollardops mesocristata) but defintely i want to increase their number

[piranha]

17 minutes ago, Max10 said:

Now i would kindly ask you the difference between Phacops and Morocops genus...

 

 

Compare the diagnosis from the Morocops paper with this informative post on the defining characters of Phacops and Eldredgeops:

 

 

 

[Max10]

8 minutes ago, piranha said:

 

 

Compare the diagnosis from the Morocops paper with this informative post on the defining characters of Phacops and Eldredgeops:

 

 

 

Perfect, i had miss the link to the Morocops pdf Now i see it and already know the beautiful post of GerryK...amazing work!

Tomorrow i'll start to study the Morocops pdf! I'm so excited

Thanks again, piranha! Now i go to bed (it's 2AM in Tuscany)...goodnight!