Tuesday, February 23, 2010
Cornulites
Cornulite worm tubes found in the Kope Formation. These small creatures existed in the Ordovician Period. Typically, I find them attached to brachiopod shells specifically in the ridges. So it was change to find them by themselves in the gravel I was screening for scolecodonts. Fossils found in Carroll County, Kentucky.
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5 comments:
With the striations on the side they almost look like a horn coral. I've never seen one up this close.
I agree they do look like small horn corals but I am pretty sure they are cornulites. There are no septa at the open end of the horn shape.
The striations are hardly detectable without a microscope.
YEP ! Very good shots, Michael ! No confusion is possible with Tentaculites either.
Interesting! Usually, in this area they are epibionts... somewhat uncommon to find them solitary.
I have been working an outcrop in which they are prolific, and came across this rather unusual association with a trilobite:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/30726183@N05/3215510026/
I have also found colonies of the critters encrusting firmgrounds.
Too, I have found other unusual associations at this outcrop:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/30726183@N05/4143439508/in/photostream/
Cheers, Solius.
I guess it is possible these creatures were attached to a brachiopod or rock. The fossil broke free over time and got washed into the sediment.
A new one will be shown soon that has a bryozoan attached to it.
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