German Pecopteris Pine Cone Fossil

Here is a picture of a Pecopteris acuta pine cone fossil at the Museo di Paleontologia at Sapienza University of Rome Italy. Plants like this existed at the time of the Carboniferous Period. The fossil was found in Essen, Germany.

Image taken in June 2014.

Poking Around in the Waldron Shale

Recently, I got a rare opportunity hunt for fossils in the Waldron Shale and a number of fossils were found. Nothing earth shattering but it was fun to get out after a long absence to poke around and see some familiar fossil friends.

This first image is of a fragment of a Trimerus trilobite pygidium. Not sure if it is all there in at least one lobe is and probably also the middle section as well. The next image is of a very flattened Dawsonoceras cephalopod that is about 10 cm long.

No trip to the Silurian Period Waldron Shale fossil layer would be complete without seeing the index fossil. The crinoid Eucalyptocrinus must have been prolific on the seabed as the calyx cups can be spotted in just a short search time.

The last two fossils are a trilobite cephalons. I am not sure which trilobites they belong to (Dalmanites?).
UPDATE: Kenny informs the next image is of a flattened Trimerus trilobite. I agree with that ID.

Sea Urchin with Spines

Here is a picture of a spiny echinoid sea urchin at the Museo di Paleontologia at Sapienza University of Rome Italy.

Image taken in June 2014.

Tmetoceras Ammonite Fossil

Here is a picture of a Tmetoceras scissum ammonite fossil at the Museo di Paleontologia at Sapienza University of Rome Italy. Creature existed in the Middle Jurassic Period.

Image taken in June 2014.

Idmonea Bryozoan Fossil

Here is a picture of a Idmonea clathrata bryozoan fossil at the Museo di Paleontologia at Sapienza University of Rome Italy.

Image taken in June 2014.

Acanthocladia Bryozoan Fossil

Here is a picture of a Acanthocladia anceps bryozoan fossil at the Museo di Paleontologia at Sapienza University of Rome Italy. Creatures like this existed at the time of the upper Permian Period.

Image taken in June 2014.

Crassatella Pelecypod Fossil Evidence of Predation

The shell fossil in the first picture shows signs of predation probably from some sort of gastropod. These fossils appear to be Crassatella vadosus pelecypods (named by Morton 1834). They existed during the Cretaceous Period (about 70 million years ago). This fossil was found in McNairy County, Tennessee (Ripley Formation).

See their identification PDF at this LINK.

Learn more about these fossils at the Coon Creek Science Center web site: http://www.memphismuseums.org/coon_creek-overview

Fossils from the Herb Miracle collection.

Cyprimeria Pelecypod Fossil

The fossil appears to be Cyprimeria alta pelecypod fossil. It existed during the Cretaceous Period (about 70 million years ago). This fossil was found in McNairy County, Tennessee (Ripley Formation).

Fossils from this locality have an identification PDF at this LINK.

Learn more about these fossils at the Coon Creek Science Center web site: http://www.memphismuseums.org/coon_creek-overview

Fossil from the Herb Miracle collection.

Granocardium Clam Fossil

The fossil appears to be Granocardium stantoni? pelecypod fossil. It existed during the Cretaceous Period (about 70 million years ago). This fossil was found in McNairy County, Tennessee (Ripley Formation).

Fossils from this locality have an identification PDF at this LINK.

Learn more about these fossils at the Coon Creek Science Center web site: http://www.memphismuseums.org/coon_creek-overview

Fossil from the Herb Miracle collection.

Caecum Micro Sea Snail Shell

Here is a magnified image of a Caecum sp. sea gastropod shell. It was found in 2014 during a diving trip to Key West Florida, USA. The specimen was about 2 km off shore in about 5 meters under the water. I do not think this is a fossil. Viewed under microscope with a 3 mm field of view.

Thanks to Kenny for the specimen and Herb for letting me use his microscope.

Learn more at these sites:

http://shellmuseum.org/shells/shellspic.cfm?sr=21

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Caecum_(gastropod)

Fenestella Bryozoan Fossils

These fossils appears to be a Fenestella. It was found in the Glen Dean formation.of Grayson County, Kentucky USA. There is an interesting set of spines in the middle of the image. The fossils date to the Mississippian Period. Image was taken with a microscope with an approximate 4 mm field of view (FOV).

Thanks to Kenny for the image.

Mississippian Age Cornulites Fossil

The white fossil appears to be a Cornulites worm tube fossil next to an unidentified brown trilobite genial spine. It was found in the Glen Dean formation.of Grayson County, Kentucky USA. The fossil dates to the Mississippian Period. Image was taken with a microscope with an approximate 4 mm field of view (FOV).

Thanks to Kenny for the image.

Palaeoconchus Worm Fossil

The fossil the blue arrow is pointing to appears to be a Palaeoconchus (aka Spirobus) worm fossil. It was found in the Glen Dean formation.of Grayson County, Kentucky USA. The fossil dates to the Mississippian Period. The worm fossils is intermixed with bryozoans (maybe Fenestella). Image was taken with a microscope with an approximate 4 mm field of view (FOV).

Learn more about this worm fossil at the Falls of the Ohio State Park web site:
http://www.fallsoftheohio.org/Fossil_Worms.html

Thanks to Kenny for the image for this blog posting.

Polygnathus Conodont Fossil

Here is a picture of a recently found conodont fossil fragment. It appears to be a Polygnathus sp. The fossil was found in the Jacobs Chapel Shale of Clark County, Indiana, USA which dates to the Mississippian Period.

Thanks to Kenny for the picture.

Digging the Past! Event at Falls of the Ohio State Park

Saturday was Digging the Past! A Celebration of Archaeology and Fossils Day at the Falls of the Ohio State Park in Clarksville, Indiana. It is an event that focuses on educational activities for public. I am not sure how many years I have been volunteering at this event but it is always a fun and educational event to attend. This year I got a lot of new scientific questions about minerals that I need to be ready to answer next year.

The fossil pile did not yield a lot of fossils but I did see a number of brachiopods people brought to me for identification. I saw a nice crinoid holdfast and beautiful Platystoma snail fossil with growth lines. The naturalist at the park showed me a Dawsonoceras cephalopod fossil someone left that was about 20 cm long. The Devonian fossil pile was stocked with lots of spirifer brachiopod fossils for visitors to take home. A number of trilobite and coral fragments could be found there as well.

The mineral pile was the usual big geology attraction. A number of visitors found flourite cube corners or cube clusters in purple, yellow, and bluish colors. The material is from a fluorite processing mill in southern Illinois that processed minerals from that area. Normally one sees four types of minerals: fluorite, barite, calcite, and sphalerite. The fluorite is usually purple, yellow or clear. Occasionally, green and blue fluorite will be found.

A persistent child collector found a nice pink-clear fluorite fragment.

Learn more at the Falls of the Ohio State Park web site:
http://fallsoftheohio.org/special_events.html

Bryantodus mundus Conodont Fossil

Here is a picture of a recently found conodont fossil fragment. It appears to be a Bryantodus mundus. The fossil was found in the Jacobs Chapel Shale of Clark County, Indiana, USA which dates to the Mississippian Period.

Thanks to Kenny for the picture.

Siphonodella duplicata Conodont Fossil

Here is a picture of a recently found conodont fossil. It appears to be a Siphonodella duplicata. The fossil was found in the Jacobs Chapel Shale of Clark County, Indiana, USA which dates to the Mississippian Period.

Thanks to Kenny for the picture.

Subptychoceras yubarensis and Gaudryceras Ammonite Fossils

Here is a picture of two ammonite fossils Subptychoceras yubarensis and Gaudryceras sp. at the Museo di Paleontologia at Sapienza University of Rome Italy. Creatures like this existed at the time of the upper/late Cretaceous Period (ICS geological timescale: Santonian). Fossil was found in Japan.

Image taken in June 2014.

Placenticeras meeki Ammonite Fossil

Here is a picture of a Placenticeras meeki ammonite fossil at the Museo di Paleontologia at Sapienza University of Rome Italy. Creatures like this existed in the western interior seaway at the time of the upper/late Cretaceous Period (ICS geological timescale: Maastrichtian). Fossil was found in Cheyenne River of South Dakota USA.

Image taken in June 2014.

Aporrhais uttingerina Gastropod Fossil

Here is a picture of an Aporrhais uttingerina gastropod fossil at the Museo di Paleontologia at Sapienza University of Rome Italy. Creatures like this existed at the time of the Pliocene Epoch of Neogene Period. Fossil found in San Faustino Umbria Italy.

Image taken in June 2014.

Neptunea contraria Gastropod Fossil

Here is a picture of a Neptunea contraria gastropod fossil at the Museo di Paleontologia at Sapienza University of Rome Italy. Creatures like this existed at the time of the Pliocene Epoch of Neogene Period (geological timescale: Emilian).

Image taken in June 2014.

Hinia musiva Gastropod Fossil

Here is a picture of a Hinia musiva gastropod fossil at the Museo di Paleontologia at Sapienza University of Rome Italy. Creatures like this existed at the time of the Pliocene Epoch of Neogene Period. Fossil found in Poggio Rotondo, Italy.

Image taken in June 2014.

Strombus bubonius Gastropod Fossil

Here is a picture of a Strombus bubonius gastropod fossil at the Museo di Paleontologia at Sapienza University of Rome Italy. Creatures like this existed at the time of the middle/late Pleistocene Period (geological timescale: Tyrrhenian). Fossil was found in Rovagnese-Calabria, Italy.

Image taken in June 2014.

Granchio indeterminato Crab Fossil

Here is a picture of a Granchio indeterminato crab fossil at the Museo di Paleontologia at Sapienza University of Rome Italy. Creatures like this existed in the Miocene Epoch of Neogene Period. Fossil was found in Argentina.

Image taken in June 2014.

Leperditia Giant Ostracod Fossil

Here is a picture of a Leperditia ostracod fossil at the Museo di Paleontologia at Sapienza University of Rome Italy. Creatures like this existed in the Silurian Period (about 430 million years ago). Fossil was found in Aminne, Sweden.

Image taken in June 2014.

Dicranurus monstruosus Trilobite Fossil

Here is a picture of a Dicranurus monstruosus trilobite fossil at the Museo di Paleontologia at Sapienza University of Rome Italy. Creatures like this existed in the Devonian Period. Fossil was found in Alnif, Morocco.

Image taken in June 2014.