Tuesday, January 19, 2010

Salem Limestone Microfossils


Images for this post are microfossils from Washington County, Indiana that exist in the Salem Limestone.  This first fossil is worm called Spirorbis annulatus.  The drawing below is of one from Indiana Department of Geology and Natural Resources 13th Annual Report by W.S. Blatchley, 1905.  Can be found on Google Books HERE.




Images were taken with an Intel QX3 microscope which has three settings 10x, 60x and 200x.  This device is somewhat old so its resolution is 512 pixels wide and there is quite a bit of noise at 200x magnification.  It also has plastic lens so not the greatest but I got it for $50 years ago so not a bad deal.


This next fossil is what Salem Limestone is famous for... the foraminifera.  This one is called Endothyra baileyi (at least in the 1905 Indiana Geology Report).  This first image is of a set of drawings from that report.


 This next picture is one I took at 60x magnification.  I have found maybe 30 so far after looking about a measuring cup worth of sand material.




These next set of 1905 drawings are the gastropod Solenospira vermicula, S. turritella, and S. attenuata







I am not sure which species this gastropod is so I will just call it Solenospira sp.

This last image is of an elliptical crinoid stem piece that reminds me of a Platycrinites.  I found 3 so far.



Thanks to Herb for the Salem Limestone sand to study.

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