Newly Found Edestus Shark Fossil

A nice benefit of having a fossil blog on the Internet is the number of people you meet who are interested in fossils from around the world. Back in October 2014, I was contacted by a coal miner in western Kentucky about identifying some the pyrite fossils he found in some of the mines there. It was great that some one in the mining industry was interested in fossils. At the time, I let him know about the Edestus shark fossils that miners sometimes find.

Well, I just heard back from him and he found one of those fossils.

This Edestus shark fossil was found about 7-8 inches (17-20 cm) above the coal seam. This layer is a marine shale above the Springfield and Herrin coal beds of western Kentucky USA. It dates to the upper Middle Pennsylvanian or Carboniferous Period (approximately 307 million years ago). The jaw segment found is about 30 cm long and contained 8-9 teeth. Only 3 are mostly intact though.

Of course if you cannot find one of these fossils for yourself, a company in Japan makes a stuffed animal version of the Edestus available here.

To see more finds from the coal mines see these posts:
http://louisvillefossils.blogspot.com/2014/10/coal-mine-cephalopod.html

http://louisvillefossils.blogspot.com/2014/10/pyrite-strobeus-snail-fossil.html

http://louisvillefossils.blogspot.com/2014/10/shansiella-pyrite-gastropod-fossil.html

http://louisvillefossils.blogspot.com/2014/10/pyrite-bellerophon-fossil.html

http://louisvillefossils.blogspot.com/2014/10/pyrite-trepospira-gastropod-fossil.html


Learn more about Edestus shark fossils:
http://louisvillefossils.blogspot.com/2011/04/shark-jaw-fossil-at-kentucky-coal-mine.html

http://uknow.uky.edu/content/ancient-shark-fossil-found-western-kentucky-mine

http://www.thefossilforum.com/index.php?/topic/38338-restoring-edestus-teeth/

http://www.thefossilforum.com/index.php?/topic/19260-edestus-jaw/

http://www.indiana9fossils.com/Shark-Fossils/Edestus-Heinrichi.htm

Unidentified Fish Fossils

When I go on trips I sometimes try to find fossils or minerals from that area as a memento. My last trip to Arizona I found this plate in a museum gift shop. Unfortunately, it had no identification label so I do not know its name, location where found, geological formation, or time period. Since it was in a gift shop it must be from an area where fish fossils are commonly found and sold to collectors. Areas I find on the Internet as sources of fish fossils are Green River, Wyoming, Liaoning/Hubai, China, and Ceara, Brazil.

The fish does sort of look like a Dastilbe crandalli found in the Santana Formation of Ceara, Brazil. Fish from that area date to the Lower Cretaceous Period.

The matrix had 2 other fish remains on it. One is of the tail and rear vertebra and the other fossil on the other side of the plate is a jumbo of parts which includes some of the rib bones.

Source:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dastilbe

Porosphaera globularis Fossil From Spain

This sponge fossil is called Porosphaera globularis from the Cretaceous Period. They were found in the region of Navarra, Spain.

According to the Natural History Museum of the U.K, people sometimes use these fossils as beads in necklaces. One was even found at a Bronze Age burial site with a skeleton from the Higham Marshes of Kent in south east England.

Thanks to Herb for these fossils.

Info sources:

http://uk.naturalhistory.museum/nature-online/earth/fossils/fossil-folklore/themes/decoration06.htm

http://www.thefossilforum.com/index.php?/gallery/image/29192-porosphaera-globularis/

Ptychotrygon triangularis Fossil

This fossil was found in the Carlile Shale Formation of Grant County, South Dakota, USA. He has been carefully extracting the hidden fossil shark teeth.  The fossils date to the Cretaceous Period (Turonian). The picture shows what appears to be a Ptychotrygon triangularis sawfish rostral denticle fossil. Field of view (FOV) is about 3 mm.

Thanks to Kenny for the image.

Info Sources:

http://www.phatfossils.com/species.php?species=Ptychotrygon%20Triangularis

Cantioscyllium decipiens Shark Fossil Tooth

My cousin has been working on some Carlile Shale Formation matrix. It was found in Grant County, South Dakota, USA. He has been carefully extracting the hidden fossil shark teeth.  The fossils date to the Cretaceous Period (Turonian). The picture shows what appears to be a Cantioscyllium decipiens tooth fossil. Field of view (FOV) is about 3 mm.

Thanks to Kenny for the image.

Info Sources:
http://www.chalk.discoveringfossils.co.uk/5%20Cantioscyllium.htm

http://fossilsofnj.com/shark/c_decipiens.htm

Brachyrizodus (Pseudohypoluphus) Fossil Tooth

My cousin has been analyzing some Carlile Shale Formation matrix. It was found in Grant County, South Dakota, USA. He has been carefully breaking it down to extract the hidden fossil shark teeth.  The fossils date to the Cretaceous Period (Turonian). The picture shows what appears to be a Brachyrizodus (Pseudohypoluphus) sp. tooth fossil. Field of view (FOV) is about 3 mm.

Thanks to Kenny for the image.

Info:
http://oceansofkansas.com/ks-sharks.html

Extinct Goblin Shark Tooth Fossil

My cousin has been extracting fossils from some Carlile Shale Formation matrix. It was found in Grant County, South Dakota, USA. He has been carefully breaking it down to extract the hidden fossil shark teeth.  The fossils date to the Cretaceous Period (Turonian). The picture shows what appears to be a Scapanorhynchus raphiodon. Field of view (FOV) is about 5 mm.

Thanks to Kenny for the image.

Info Source:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scapanorhynchus

http://www.elasmo.com/frameMe.html?file=genera/cretaceous/scapanorhynchus.html&menu=bin/menu_genera-alt.html

Indiana State Fossil - Elegant Sea Lily?

Recently I received an e-mail about a proposed bill SB114 to the 2015 Indiana State Senate that is listed on their website as "Designates the elegant sea lily (Elegantocrinus hemisphaericus) as the official state fossil of Indiana.". The name did not seem familiar and when I looked for it on the Internet not much came up. The reason is the genus was renamed in 2009 and it's old name is more in the literature: Platycrinites hemisphaericus. The Platycrinites picture I chose to lead off this post with is of a different species but it a beautiful specimen that was on display at the Indiana State Museum January 2010. It existed in the Mississippian Period and was found in the Edwardsville Formation of Crawfordsville Indiana. A natural science history professor at Indiana's Wabash College named Edmund O. Hovey first documented these fossils in 1836.

My feelings are mixed about this fossil choice. I grew up in southern Indiana and remember finding crinoid stems in the creek that ran through our property. At the time I did not know what time period or formation they were from. It was a distinct fossil and not impossible to find. The crinoid is a good choice but the one that was chosen is probably only found in a particular place in the state and may not be very common. So it will be hard to find one unless you want to buy it from one of the Crawfordsville fossil dealers. In it's defense, the Platycrinites does have a very nice stem as you can see in the picture. It forms a helix like shaft for the calyx to connect to.

While I have yet to make it to London's Natural History Museum or Berlin's Museum für Naturkunde to see what crinoid fossils are on display I have been to Paris's Muséum National D'Historie Naturelle Jardin Des Plantes Paléontologie et Anatomie Comparée. They had Platycrinites hemisphaericus crinoids in one of their cases and the fossils looked like they had been collected a long time ago. In addition, they had 5 other Indiana crinoids on display plus an Ordovician horn coral from Madison, Indiana.

I do not believe I saw one at the Smithsonian but I did see a beautiful Dizygocrinus indianensis there in August 2010. Which brings up an issue, Indiana has a lot of nice crinoids so it is wise to choose one species to represent the entire state?

A possible better solution is to pick something broad like the phylum Echinodermata which would include the famous crinoids of Crawfordsville plus the blastoids found in large numbers in southern Indiana, cystoids found in Napoleon Indiana. Thus a student looking for the state fossil will have lots of opportunities to find one from Indiana's rich paleontological past. If you want to get more specific, just the subphylum Crinozoa or class Crinoidea just to allow crinoid fossils could be the state fossil.

My preference would be the state fossil be just a phylum or class, then the Waldron Shale crinoids of Shelby County could be part of this. An index fossil for the Waldron Shale is a crinoid and not just a stem but the calyx cup. They preserve so well that they can be found in such numbers as to qualify as an index fossil! When I help people at fossil events held throughout the year, if I am in Kentucky I will point out the brachiopod and tell them it is the state fossil. It would be nice to do that when in Indiana to point out a crinoid piece and tell them this is the state fossil.

Below is an Eucalyptocrinites crinoid holdfast found in the Waldron Shale of Indiana on display Muséum National D'Historie Naturelle Jardin Des Plantes Paléontologie et Anatomie Comparée in Paris, France on August 2009. So crinoid fossils from Crawfordsville, Indiana are not the only ones to be world class to be on display outside the United States.

The link below leads to a newspaper article about this. It appears the committee the bill was sent to is not one it will emerge from. Hopefully, the bill will get some Hoosiers talking about fossils and help inform the public more about our fossil past.

Read more about this proposed bill at The Indy Star:
http://www.indystar.com/story/news/2015/01/08/indiana-ready-state-fossil/21421385/

More info:
http://www.indianasocietyofpaleontology.org/state-fossil.html

Favosites emmonsia Coral Fossil

Nothing like starting off 2015 with finding a coral fossil from the Devonian Period. This coral appears to be a Favosites emmonsia. It was found in the Jeffersonville Limestone of Jefferson County Kentucky USA.

Thanks to Kenny for the image.

Syringopora hisingeri Coral Fossil on Stromatoporid

These fossils appear to be a Syringopora hisingeri coral on a stromatoporid. They were found in the Jeffersonville Limestone of Jefferson County Kentucky USA. The corals existed in the Devonian Period.

Thanks to Kenny for the image.

Coenites reticulata Coral Fossil

These coral fossils appear to be a Coenites reticulata on a Favosites. They were found in the Jeffersonville Limestone of Jefferson County Kentucky USA. The corals existed in the Devonian Period.

Thanks to Kenny for the image.

Aulocystis fascicularis Coral Fossil

Very nice find of a Devonian Period coral fossil This coral appears to be an Aulocystis fascicularis. It was found in the Jeffersonville Limestone of Jefferson County Kentucky USA.

Thanks to Kenny for the image.