Order: PHACOPIDA Salter, 1864
Suborder: PHACOPINA Struve, 1959
Superfamily: PHACOPACEA Hawle & Corda, 1847
Family: PHACOPIDAE Hawle & Corda, 1847
Subfamily: PHACOPINAE Hawle & Corda, 1847
Genus MOROCOPS Basse, 2006
(= Barrandeops Mc Kellar & Chatterton, 2009)
Diagnosis
The glabella has coarse conical tubercles in moderate to high density. These tubercles are less pronounced on the other parts of the cephalon. The glabella is bulbous with minor overhang in the front. The eyes follow the form of the glabella. Typical for Morocops is that the palpebral lobe is significantly lower than the palpebral area. They eyes have 18 to 19 rows of maximum 4 to 6 lenses.
The thorax width is becoming smaller towards the pygidium (tail). It is covered with coarse conical/domed tubercles
The pygidium has 7 or 8 well defined axial rings and 4 to 5 plueral ribs, also with clear tuberculate sculpture.
Occurence
Morocops is found in the upper Emsian to lower Eifelian of Morocco and upper Emsian of Algeria.
Recognizing Morocops species
We only discuss the Moroccan Morocops species.
Morocops granulops
Chatterton et al 2006 (Upper emsian)
Location: Timrhanrhart Formation, basal part of section at Jbel Gara el Zguilma, near Foum Zguid.
This species has large tubercles on the glabella (up to 8mm in diameter). It has long low eyes with 19 rows of up to 6 (mostly 4 or 5) lenses. The lower edge of the eye shows a distinct row of small tubercles.
Morocops lebesus
Chatterton et al 2006 (Eifelian)
Location: Timrhanrhart Formation, basal part of section at Jbel Gara el Zguilma, near Foum Zguid.
Also found in the Thysanopeltis/Harpes couche in the El Otfal Formation, at the bou Dîb section near the city of bou Dîb in the Ma’der basin.
This species has less but coarser tubercles on the glabella than Morocops granulops. It also has a much wider lobe under the eye that has no tubercles. It also has eyes with 19 rows of up to 6 lenses.
Morocops ovatus
Chatterton et al 2009 (late Emsian, possibly early Eifelian)
Location: Morocconites couche and Metacanthina couche at Taharajat d’Oufatene, near Alnif.
This species is easily recognized because of the typical elongated tubercles on the axis of the thorax and occipital ring. The eyes have 19 rows of maximum 6 (5 is common) lenses.
Morocops forteyi
Chatterton et al 2009 (late Emsian)
Location: Psychopyge couche at Jbel Issoumour in the Ma’der basin
Also found in the Psychopyge couche at at the base of the bou Dîb section in the Ma’der basin.
This species is easily differentiated by its eyes. The eyes have only 18 rows of maximum 4 (3 is common) . Also typical for this species is that the area between the lenses is so pronounced that it appears as tubercles between the lenses.
Morocops torkozensis
Schraut 2000 (upper Emsian)
Location: Torkoz Ila, basal part of the Khebchia Formation
Also found in the nearby location of Tadachacht, also in the basal part of the Khebchia Formation
Morocops torkozensis resembles M. forteyi. It also has eyes with a very pronounced area between the lenses, but in this species this is only the case in the upper half of the eye. They eye has 18 rows of lenses but each row only has 3 to 4 lenses compared to maximum 8 lenses in M. forteyi.
Morocops spinifer
Van Viersen et all 2006 (upper Emsian)
Location: Bou Tserine, Khebchia Formation, basal part of Hollardops Limestone
This species can easily be recognized because it has spines in the front and sides of the cephalon, not the regular tubercles like the other species of Morocops. The eyes have 18 rows of each 3 to 4 lenses and the area between the lenses is small.
References
Van Viersen et all 2006. The phacopine trilobite genera Morocops Basse, 2006 and Adrisiops gen. nov from the Devonian of Morocco.
McKellar, R.C. & Chatterton, B.D.E. 2009. Early and Middle Devonian Phacopidae (Trilobita) of Southern Morocco. Palaeontographica Canadiana 28, 1-109.