UPDATE (01/27/2010): After cleaning this fossil off some more I changed its identification to Cyrtolites ornatus (Conrad, 1838) after the undulation (definition: having a wavy or curving form) were revealed by sand blasting. If I can get more of the matrix off, this will be a very nice looking fossil. The keel shape going down the center has a very nice form. Thanks to Kenny for alerting me to what this fossil really was.
UPDATE(09/18/2021): After doing some research on another fossil I realized I had this fossil genus spelled wrong. Name has been corrected. Add name of person who named species and classified as a monoplacophoran.
ORIGINAL POST:
Here are some Bellerophon fossils I found in the Kope Formation in Carroll County, Kentucky. Until now, I have not found growth line patterns found on the shell. Usually, I just find a smooth shell pattern with the ridge line running the length of the shell. A Cyclonema fossil is attached to the Bellerophon.
It is a neat find and I hope to clean with air abrasion sometime to reveal the growth lines.
This Bellerophon mold is typical of the ones I find at Ordovician Period road cuts around the Louisville area. It has a nice whirl at one end of the fossil.
That Bellephron looks like a prime candidate for cleaning... great find!
ReplyDeleteThanks for the comment. I started cleaning the fossil and discovered that shell had ripples or undulations. I named this one wrong, it appears to be a Cyrtolites ornatus? (Fossils of Ohio book pp. 158-159 figure 5,6).
ReplyDeleteVery nice looking fossil, the Kope Formation has some beautifully preserved specimens! I will update this entry soon to correct my mistake.