I recently got a lead on identifying some of the pyritized fossil Goniatites from Morocco that I have. I purchased some of these fossils from a dealer but they did not come with any labels or locality information. All they gave me was "Mrakib". So they have languished in a corner for a year or so while I put searching for information on the back burner. Thanks to a comment on a thread on Facebook though, I was re-inspired. The commenter posted a picture of several different fossils and had them labelled with names. One, named Prionoceras, appeared to match a specimen that I had and so I punched the name into Google Scholar to see what came up. Lucky for me a paper was listed that was available to the public via Researchgate.net (you can view and download .pdf documents as long as the author allows the public, though you have to sign up with the site):
"Middle Famennian (Late Devonian) ammonoids from the Anti-Atlas of Morocco. 1. Prionoceras", Korn, D. & Bockwinkel J., Neues Jahrbuch für Geologie und Paläontologie - Abhandlungen, 272/2, May 2014, pgs. 167-204
From that paper I found this figure (Fig. 21) which appears to match my fossil and is called Prionoceras lentis.
And here is the specimen that I am now calling Prionoceras lentis
Right side (note that the constrictions are curved on this side but are straight on the left side)
View of the keel, note the curved constriction from the right side becoming straight on the left.
Left side
Another view of the keel with the front of the shell at the top of the picture. The living chamber is not preserved in this specimen.
In addition, the aforementioned paper indicates that this particular species comes from the "Platyclymenia beds, Madène el Mrakib" which are Upper Devonian (Famennian stage) in age.
Showing posts with label El Mrakib. Show all posts
Showing posts with label El Mrakib. Show all posts
Monday, July 11, 2016
Thursday, April 16, 2015
Devonogypa spinulosa brachiopod from Morocco
I've received some new brachiopod specimens from Morocco recently and this Gypidulid is one of them. The shell is about as wide as it is long with very unequal valves. The pedicle valve is very convex and curved while the brachial valve is only slightly convex. There is no sulcus in the shell and it is smooth except for some very fine concentric growth lines. I believe this should be called Devonogypa spinulosa after reading the paper, Middle Devonian brachiopods from the southern Maïder (eastern Anti- Atlas, Morocco). Halamski, A.T. and Baliński, A., 2013. Annales Societatis Geologorum Poloniae, 83: 243–307 since it seems to match both the description and the specimens illustrated in the plates. Within the paper the authors refer to this species as coming from outcrops of the Taboumakhlouf Formation (Devonian, Eifelian to Givetian stage) on El Mrakib (a mountain near Alnif) and the specimens I received came from there as well.
Brachial valve (note the spirorbis epibiont on the surface)
Anterior
Pedicle valve
Posterior
Profile
Brachial valve (note the spirorbis epibiont on the surface)
Anterior
Pedicle valve
Posterior
Profile
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