Moroccan fossils!

[kgbudge]

Got looking through some of my older stuff, from years back, when I was a bit naive. I have three Moroccan fossils, or at least labeled as such. One is undoubtedly real and only its ID is in question; I'll make that a separate post elsewhere. But I thought I'd check my evaluation of two trilobite fossils. Apologies that the photos aren't better.

 

Real?

 

Not an expensive offering, and not apparently a rare variety for Morocco. A hot needle does not mark it. Under the loupe, there are no obvious bubbles in the surface, and there are defects that seem filled with calcite crystals. There is a fair amount of matrix that has not been completely cleaned out of the grooves and sides, and it matches the rest of the rock. Does not mind a hot needle (left no mark). The one thing that makes me suspicious is the area immediately beneath the cephalon, which looks like it might have been glued.

 

So fake it's embarrassing:

 

Seems almost painfully obvious it's been cemented onto the rock. Offered for a pittance. The surface has numerous bubble voids. And, yes, a hot needle melts a small hole into the fossil. 

 

So tell me if my BS-O-Meter is malfunctioning?

[Kane]

Yes, the first one is real — a common proetid ( Gerastos sp.).

[kgbudge]

Labeled as "Ordovician Proteus" by the seller. I suppose that's not far off.

[Kane]

It would be Devonian in age, but why quibble over a few many million years.  

[kgbudge]

1 minute ago, Kane said:

It would be Devonian in age, but why quibble over a few many million years.  

[kgbudge]

More Moroccan fossils from earlier and much more casual days. These appear to be real fossils, and I didn't pay much for them -- ergo, not remarkable specimens -- but it might still be fun to learn a bit more about them.

 

Ammonite:

 

 

 

 

Been long enough that I don't recall what the seller claimed about it, other than "Cretaceous ammonite", which I'm guessing may not actually be wrong. Did not cost me but a couple of quatloos.

 

Polished coral:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Again, long enough ago that I don't recall what the seller claimed for certain -- Devonian coral, maybe, without a more specific identification. Paid a few more quatloos for this one but not that many.

 

Anything you can tell me will be interesting. Particularly what the key identifying features are. All I can guess at my present level of knowledge is it's obviously colonial, and it looks like possibly it's a tabulate coral, based on cross-partitions in the first picture of its backside. Apologies for poor photographs; my camera is cheap and its focus unpredictable.

[kgbudge]

Looking around the Web, I find that Perisphinctes looks a lot like my fossil ammonite. Jurassic, not Cretaceous.

[kgbudge]

And, again looking around the Web, I'm guessing my coral is a Devonian colonial rugose coral.

[Mark Kmiecik]

2 hours ago, kgbudge said:

And, again looking around the Web, I'm guessing my coral is a Devonian colonial rugose coral.

 

I think the coral is tabulate as opposed to rugosan. I'm no expert, so if I'm wrong I'm sure someone will jump in to straighten me out.

[kgbudge]

1 hour ago, Mark Kmiecik said:

 

I think the coral is tabulate as opposed to rugosan. I'm no expert, so if I'm wrong I'm sure someone will jump in to straighten me out.

 

I thought so at first, too, but apparently it's uncommon for tabulates to have prominent septae, and I came across pictures of colonial rugose corals that looked a little like my second picture. But I haven't come across anything that matches really precisely either way.

[marguy]

@kgbudge

for your coral, see Actinocyathus , Carboniferous coral (maybe Tindouf basin?) (often on the market with name Hexagonaria, Devonian )

[kgbudge]

3 hours ago, marguy said:

@kgbudge

for your coral, see Actinocyathus , Carboniferous coral (maybe Tindouf basin?) (often on the market with name Hexagonaria, Devonian )

Yep, that looks like a match. Slightly pleased with myself that at least I had it down to a colonial rugose. I sometimes bork even the phylum. (Heck; I sometimes bork even organic versus inorganic.) And, yes, my vague recollection is that it was sold to me as a Devonian Hexagonaria.  Still, a Carboniferous Actinocyathus is at least a legitimate and interesting fossil.

[Tidgy's Dad]

The Peresphinctes has preservation that looks more Madagascan than Moroccan, in my opinion. 

[rocket]

yep, the "Perisphinct" (think it is Divisiosphinctes) comes from upper jurassic, oxfordian from Madagascar

Edited February 20, 2023 by rocket