Saturday, February 20, 2010

Scolecodonts and Trickery

UPDATE: My original post listed the fossils in the following pictures as conodonts.  After some feedback from Shamalama and Herb, they informed me that some are trilobite cephalon fragments and others are scolecodonts.   I have edited this post to reflect the correct information.  Okay, I had to correct this post a second time since I assumed the trilobite was a Cryptolithus when it appears to be a Acidaspis.

These first three fossils are scolecodonts. Fossils found in the Kope Formation of Carroll County, Kentucky usually consist of just their jaw remains. These fossils date to the Ordovician Period.

 

  

  

These last three images are of cephalon (front part) of a trilobite (maybe Acidaspis?).  The Kope Formation location I was at has quite a lot of larger fragments.  See the comb like structure fooled me into thinking they were broken off teeth.  I need to be more careful next time!

  

  

 

6 comments:

Dark Slander said...

I am really fond of these fossils, unfortunately I have been unsuccessful in finding one of my own when I hunt the IN/KY areas. Perhaps this summer I'll have more luck.

Shamalama said...

I think the last three pieces in our photos are of Cryptolithus trilobite cephalons. You can see the cheek spine attached to the last two.

Shamalama said...

Your, not our... sorry.

Michael Popp said...

Yikes! I have misidentified the fossils in this post. Thanks to Shamalama and Herb for the correction about the last three being part of a Cyptolithus trilobite.

Also it appears the other fossils labeled conodonts are really scolecodonts.

Thanks for alerting me to my mistakes.

Dark Slander I suggest you try the road cuts east of Louisville in the Ordovician Period exposures. Also it requires some time, screens, magnifiers and water to extract fossils. If I get a chance I will document the process in a post.

Anonymous said...

I am unaware of any trinucleids, from the area, that are spiny on the librigena???

I think that your original interpretation is correct.





Solius

Michael Popp said...

Is it possible these fragments are pieces of an Acidaspis or Meadowtownella trilobite found in the Upper Ordovician Kope Foramtion rock?

There are pictures of these trilobites on the Internet but not at a high enough resolution for me to make a piece match. The trilobites were small and spiny though.

See web page: http://www.fossilprep.com/articles/cinci.htm