Is This Moroccan Trilobite Fake?

[Eocenecarnage]

I bought this trilobite two days ago at a museum gift shop. The label said it was a phacops, even though it looks like a proteus. I questioning whether this is a real fossil.

[IonRocks]

Better pictures required please. Take the picture in natural light, preferably on a piece of paper. Take the picture at an angle parallel to the trilobite.

[piranha]

This one is an authentic Devonian proetid from Morocco: Gerastos sp. Congrats!

[Eocenecarnage]

This one is an authentic Devonian proetid from Morocco: Gerastos sp. Congrats!

I actually think its a Dimuproetus (not sure what species). I does not seem to have a big glabella like Gerastos. Also the pygidium on Gerastos is much longer.

[piranha]

On 11/3/2015 at 8:56 AM, Eocenecarnage said:

I actually think its a Dimuproetus (not sure what species). I does not seem to have a big glabella like Gerastos. Also the pygidium on Gerastos is much longer.

 

 

There is no genus named 'Dimuproetus'. It could be Diademaproetus, but the low-quality photos don't show the glabella or pygidium with sufficient detail. Diademaproetus has long genal spines, and looking again at the first photo, it's possible the right genal spine was broken off during extraction or prep. Additionally, Diademaproetus has an obvious spatulate projection on the cephalon, but it's difficult to tell because of the blurry photo. Diademaproetus also has a larger width to length ratio than your specimen. Alternatively it might be closer to something like Dalejeproetus, attached here for comparison.

 

 

Dalejeproetus figure from:

 

Johnson, R.G., & Fortey, R.A. (2012)

Proetid Trilobites from the Lower Devonian (Pragian) Ihandar Formation, Anti-Atlas, Morocco.

Journal of Paleontology, 86(6):1032-1050

 

Diademaproetus figure from:

 

Chatterton, B.D.E., Fortey, R.A., Brett, K.D., Gibb, S.L, & McKellar, R.C. (2006)

Trilobites from the upper Lower to Middle Devonian Timrhanrhart Formation, Jbel Gara et Zguilma, southern Morocco.

Palaeontographica Canadiana, 25:1-177

 

 

 

[Fossildude19]

Piranha is one of our resident trilobite experts.

You can take his identifications to the bank.

Better pictures would clear up the ID ... but my money is on Piranha's ID choices.

Regards,

[Fred]

Please note that Piranha is -understandably- very cautious in making these suggestions. The original pics are not sharp enough to come to a proper ID. Gerastos can be ruled out as an option, but otherwise I concur with what Piranha suggests. It is definitely a proetid (not a phacopid), and it is largely genuine.

[Eocenecarnage]

I don't thinks it's either of those, Piranha. Its seems like that its from yet another species, Cornuproetus cornutus

[JohnJ]

I don't thinks it's either of those, Piranha. Its seems like that its from yet another species, Cornuproetus cornutus

Any chance you could get some better photos, Evan?