Trilobite- real or fake?

[Science_Teacher_1996]

 Hello, 

I am brand new at fossil collecting and am trying to get specimens for my science class (I’m a high school science teacher). I bought a few fossils pretty cheap not knowing how prevalent fakes are. I think some are fake, partially faked, or enhanced. I don’t want to misinform my students in what is real and what isn’t so I’d love some help! (Fakes aren’t the worst thing for me since we can discuss the use of models in class, I just need to know what is real or fake). Here is my first specimen: a trilobite of unknown origin (I havnt seen one like it online which is why I think it is fake). Thanks! 

[Science_Teacher_1996]

More pics 

[Science_Teacher_1996]

More

[DevonianDigger]

It's a Crotalocephalus gibbus from Morroco. They're fairly common, so not really a common fake. Would need closer photos to tell for certain, but it looks real, just not prepared particularly well, which is also common for Moroccan trilobites.

[Science_Teacher_1996]

Thanks! I will try closer ones when I get home (they kept coming out blurry but I’ll try again) 

 

[DevonianDigger]

4 minutes ago, Science_Teacher_1996 said:

Thanks! I will try closer ones when I get home (they kept coming out blurry but I’ll try again)

 

The most obvious giveaway on one like this would be tiny bubbles in the trilobite itself. Something like this, if it were to be faked, would be a cast. Casts frequently display small air bubbles in the plaster from the molding process. But again, I bet this is genuine, and a nice piece for your class!

[Wrangellian]

Also, sometimes heads and tails from different trilobites are glued together to make what we call 'frankenfossils', but I can't tell if this is the case here. If it is, it's well-disguised.

[Fitch1979]

real specimen you got there - bit roughly prepped, but real!

[Jackson g]

Another good tip is looking for discoloring in the matrix near the trilobite itself. Also a lot of Morroco trilobites are in encased in very hard rock, and will have cracks in them, enless prepped very well. You can also try counting thorax segments also if you think it's a frankenstien. If it looks to good to be true, it usually is. Especially with slabs of mutiples, which could be remounted. Hope this helps!

[aeon.rocks]

You got a real bug there, but if you have more, and if worried about fakes, you could give them a quick bath in acetone.