Interesting fossils in this picture of a
brachiopod shell hosting a number of worm tubes. These fossils are from the Ordovician Period and were found in the Lexington Limestone(?) in Franklin County, Kentucky.
There appear to be 15 worm tubes (
Cornulites) on the
Rafinesquina brachiopod shell. Apparently the
brachiopod was dead when the five attached themselves to the inside of the shell.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCkj6ZtENHC3bCm_oazv0QOw-edwp6wsK6cCKKH214dWaf9IiqRopqoaAfKOV1fIx_YreWbTtlgcXKNc3Dzioa5tp-Ww-LVPa69kIJ6FiKcdd6DLmUTduFobWNFvTGLhXz3422Rb0PC-O6/s400/rafinesquina-with-cornulites-w-ruler.jpg)
Approximately 10
Cornulites attached to the outside of the shell.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihtvCxeBoFcLuGitLXSIFe7mLK2DPFhG2bgtGtnIkOZwPLsyZrh-gw3y3Gh4YEcWC5GC85_9BVZD4zP5wY_qAgnpyi2J5SkzjW8UIdA46L5yxu1ZNGlOTb4VElYkp468aA9UzJu2Zv4340/s400/rafinesquina-with-cornulites2.jpg)
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQltK2LfnpbXuUbNKumRX1ANToBityI8Y8tKn874afUL0N5x8xdnZM-w16knprQMSte4zxEL3Q5igYqln4EqHEheyd0_JQXOROxvFrLCxta-SJ7VWHNUylJ-_dui83sp5k5oDYr7AFYFJC/s400/rafinesquina-with-cornulites.jpg)
View of five worm tubes attached to inside of the shell.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJ5lI_wHPgTozKnCzgj5XZXn4oq6t2ta6shA5N1auYQZtHLavgmAj6BDJ5L4OOjL7U4ORmQXjDyNmsZt7Ad17JfDUlDZivxljW2vl_cc-tanBCZtDRuxU7RRomSzd3KBX4uUmbVoT35Y6B/s400/cornulites-inside-rafinesquina-shell.jpg)
Closeup of the shell edge with worm tubes.