Saturday, July 31, 2010

Indiana Silurian Period Fossils

This first fossil is a Platyostoma niagarense gastropod fossil from the Waldron Shale of Clark County, Indiana.  The creature existed in the Middle Silurian Period.  It is quite small at about 1 cm wide.


Next fossil I think is some sort of cystoid from the Waldron Shale. It has a four petal flower shape at its base? There are also five petal patterns on its surface.  Needs cleaning with air abrasion to reveal better surface detail.  Fossil is small at just over 1 cm long.

Last Waldron Shale fossil is odd shaped.  Sort of reminds me of an echinoid spine but I don't think those were around in the Middle Silurian Period.  Might be some sort algae but the pores do not look big enough.  The Indiana State Museum collection database has a Waldron Shale algae fossil specimen cataloged as a Receptaculites sp.

The fossil could be some sort of bryozoan in weird shape.  Fossil is over 1 cm long.

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