Sunday, February 14, 2010

Rafinesquina Encrusters

These Rafinesquina brachiopods from the Ordovician Period found in Kentucky have some encrusting creatures on them.

This first specimen I find the most interesting. It has a type of matting bryozoan and either a branching bryozoan like cyclostome or coral like Protarea richmondensis. See these nice pictures on the Kentucky Paleontological Society website: encrusting Protarea richmondensis coral on Rafinesquina and Cyclostome bryozoan and Cornulites worm tubes encrusting Rafinesquina
 

This next Rafinesquina brachiopod has imprints of the tubes of either a Cornulites worm or Tentaculites.

 

An inarticulate brachiopod has made its home on shell edge of this Rafinesquina brachiopod.

  

A number of bryozoan colonies can be seen on shell edge and shell body of this brachiopod.

  

Not really any visible encrustations on this brachiopod though an interesting indentation.

 

Thanks to Herb for the images of some of his brachiopod specimens.