Unidentified Crinoid Holdfast

It is difficult to sometimes identify Devonian Period crinoid stems without their calyx. This specimen was found in Clark County, Indiana, USA. The fossil fragment has a lot of texture.

Unidentified Crinoid Calyx Fossil

Here is an image of a large crinoid calyx (about 10 cm in diameter). It was found in the Devonian Period Jeffersonville (?) Limestone of Jefferson County, Kentucky USA. It might be some sort of Dolatocrinus. Refer to plate 74 figures 21b and 23 of Index Fossils of North America (Shimer & Shrock, 1944).

Thanks to Kenny for the picture.

University of Michigan 3D Fossil Web Site

The Online Repository of Fossils Museum of Paleontology at the University of Michigan has a GREAT 3D fossil web site. It can be found at https://umorf.ummp.lsa.umich.edu/wp/ The image below shows a Spinocyrtia mourantae Devonian Period brachiopod. Once on the web site the image can be rotated on all three axis and magnified. You can also use the S and E keys to display measurements across the specimen. It is a very nice interface. If you look in the About section of the web site under credits it took quite a lot of people to create this very nice web site.

Their site contains images of 3D invertebrates (phylums: brachiopoda, mollusca, arthropoda, and echinodermata), 3D vertebrates (proboscidea), and a 2D gallery.

I look forward to seeing more of their work and specimens from this museum (over 2,000,000 invertebrate fossils).

Myelodactylus Crinoid Attached to Entelophyllum Coral Fossil

This picture shows very small crinoid fossil attached to a larger colonial coral fossil. It was found in the Louisville Limestone of Jefferson County, Kentucky USA.  The crinoid fossil appears to be a Myelodactylus. The colonial coral might be an Entelophyllum rugosum?. They existed in the Silurian Period.

Visit the Falls of the Ohio State Park web site for some example pictures of the Myelodactylus crinoid (scroll down toward the bottom of the page).

Consult Erwin Stumm's 1964 book Silurian and Devonian Corals of the Falls of the Ohio page 32 and plate 22, figures 9-13 (pages 112-113) for more information about the coral fossil.

Thanks to Kenny for the picture of this nice fossil.

Aulopora pygmaea Coral Fossil

Here is a picture of a very small fossil found in the Louisville Limestone of Jefferson County, Kentucky USA.  The fossil appears to be an Aulopora pygmaea. It existed in the Silurian Period. I am use to seeing Aulopora growing on brachiopod fossils but this one appears to be a stand alone colony.

Consult Erwin Stumm's 1964 book Silurian and Devonian Corals of the Falls of the Ohio page 84 and plate 77, figure 7 (pages 168-169).

Thanks to Kenny for the picture of this nice fossil.