Monday, December 30, 2019

Isurus planus Shark Teeth Fossils


Here are some images of Isurus planus shark teeth fossils. The Isurus is also known Mako sharks. Fossils were found from Shark Tooth Hill, California, USA. The sharks existed in Miocene Epoch.





Saturday, December 28, 2019

Limoptera cancellata Pelecypod Fossil


This pelecypod fossil appears to be a Limoptera cancellata. It was found in Clark County, Indiana, USA in the Jeffersonville Limestone. The fossil broke at the top and when apart one can see the lines from the shell going down into the matrix.


Thanks to Kenny for letting me image the fossil.


Friday, December 27, 2019

Ilymatogyra arictina Oyster Fossils


Here are two intertwined oyster fossils that appear to be Ilymatogyra arictina. It was found in the Del Rio Formation of Val Verde County, Texas, USA. It dates to the Cenomanian, Upper Cretaceous Period.

It was once part of the Steve Garza collection of Corydon, Indiana. Thanks to Dale for this specimen.


Thursday, December 26, 2019

Aviculopecten princeps Fossil


Here are some pictures of a rare find of an almost fully intact Aviculopecten princeps pelecypod fossil. It was found in a quarry in Clark County, Indiana USA in a large slab. Luckily it was mostly removed with a diamond saw.


The fossil dates to the Devonian Period and was found in the Jeffersonville Limestone.

Thanks to Kenny for letting me image this specimen.


Wednesday, December 25, 2019

Atractostheus Fish Fossil


Here is an image of an Atractostheus fish fossil. It was found in Germany. The fish would have lived in the Eocene Epoch. Fossil was on display at The Museo Civico di Storia Naturale di Milano (Milan Natural History Museum), Italy as of August 2019.

Tuesday, December 24, 2019

Paraspirifer bownockeri Brachiopod Fossil


Here is an image of a Paraspirifer bownockeri brachiopod fossil. It was found in Ohio, USA. The brachiopod lived in the Devonian Period. Fossil was on display at The Museo Civico di Storia Naturale di Milano (Milan Natural History Museum), Italy as of August 2019.

Monday, December 23, 2019

Osteolepis Fish Fossil


Here is an image of an Osteolepis fish fossil. It was found in Scotland U.K. The fish lived in the Devonian Period. Fossil was on display at The Museo Civico di Storia Naturale di Milano (Milan Natural History Museum), Italy as of August 2019.

Sunday, December 22, 2019

Pecten Fossil


Here is an image of a Pecten fossil that is encrusted with worm tubes. It was found in Sicily, Italy. The pelecypod lived in the Quaternary Epoch. Fossil was on display at The Museo Civico di Storia Naturale di Milano (Milan Natural History Museum), Italy as of August 2019.

Wednesday, December 18, 2019

Water Bird Egg Fossil


Here is an image of an unidentified water bird egg fossil. It was found in Wyoming, USA. The bird would have lived in the Eocene Epoch. Fossil was on display at The Museo Civico di Storia Naturale di Milano (Milan Natural History Museum), Italy as of August 2019.

Tuesday, December 17, 2019

Protoceratops Dinosaur Egg Fossil


Here is an image of a Protoceratops andrewsi dinosaur egg fossil. It was found in Mongolia. The dinosaur would have existed in the Cretaceous Period. Fossil was on display at The Museo Civico di Storia Naturale di Milano (Milan Natural History Museum), Italy as of August 2019.


Sunday, December 15, 2019

Large Horn Coral Embedded in a Fossil Fireplace



One of the largest horn coral fossils known to have existed was the Siphonophrentis elongata (Rafenesque & Clifford, 1820). When you find a piece of one these fossils you know it. It would be amazing to find one almost fully intact at this size. Fossil was probably found in the Jeffersonville Limestone of Clark County, Indiana, USA. This creature would have existed in the Devonian Period.

Second image is of the side view and is probably about 20 cm long and 8 cm in diameter.


This fossil is part of large collection of fossils that make up a large fireplace. The fossils are from a variety of places. Unfortunately, the creators of the fireplace have passed away making it difficult to determine the exact location of where this specimen is from.

Saturday, December 14, 2019

A Bryozoan Fossil That Looks Like a Starfish


The Evactinopora quinqueradiata (Ulrich, 1890) bryozoan fossil is quite unique in that its cross section looks more like starfish than a bryozoan. This one is part of a very unique fireplace in Louisville, Kentucky, USA. It is made up a lot of fossils from a variety of places. Unfortunately, the creators of the fireplace have passed away making it difficult with identifications and where the specimens are from. The fossil was once part of the Lucien Pearson Beckner (1872-1963) collection. Colonel Beckner was director of the Natural History Museum at the Louisville Free Public Library.

The species was named by Edward Oscar Ulrich (1857-1944) in 1890 in the Illinois Geological Survey report.

Evactinopora grandis (Meeks & Worthen, 1868) bryozoan fossils like this are found in the Burlington Formation of Illinois and Missouri. This specimen is a five ray creature and at least 10 cm in diameter. It dates to the Mississippian Period (Osagean Series).

Learn more about these types of creatures at this website: http://lakeneosho.org/Evactinopora/index.html



Thanks to Kenny for identifying this fossil.

 UPDATE (12-4-2022): This appears to be an Evactinopora quinqueradiata (Ulrich, 1890) and not the E. grandis (Meeks & Worthen, 1868). Learn more at http://lakeneosho.org/Evactinopora/quinqueradiata.html

Friday, December 13, 2019

Thamnoptychia Branching Coral Fossil - The Fossil Fireplace


I originally was just going to highlight the branching coral fossil in the center of the picture but 3 other fossils are cemented in close proximity to it. The enrolled trilobite in the bottom left corner of the picture appears to be an Ordovician Period Flexicalymene sp. They tend to be found closer Cincinnati, Ohio USA.

The main coral appears to be a Thamnoptychia sp. It was probably found in the Jeffersonville Limestone of Clark County, Indiana, USA. The fossil in the top right corner is base of a floating crinoid. It was known as an Ancryocrinus sp. and were found in the Beechwood Limestone. These animals existed in the Middle Devonian Period.

The bottom of center picture has a blastoid fossil. It appears to be a Deltablastus sp. blastoid. They date to the Permian Period and are usually found in the Timor of southeast Asia.

These fossils are part of a very unique fireplace exist in a house in the city of Louisville Kentucky, USA. It was created by local geology professor from various fossil finds throughout his lifetime. I took a number of pictures of it and will blog about them in the near future.

Thursday, December 12, 2019

Hexagonaria Coral Fossil at The Fossil Fireplace


This appears to be a Hexagonaria sp. coral fossil. It was probably found in the Jeffersonville Limestone of Jefferson County, Kentucky or Clark County, Indiana, USA. These animals existed in the Devonian Period.

This fossil is part of a very unique fireplace exist in a house in the city of Louisville Kentucky, USA. It was created by local geology professor from various fossil finds throughout his lifetime. I took a number of pictures of it and will blog about them in the near future.


Wednesday, December 11, 2019

Cerithium Gastropod Fossil?



This internal mold of a gastropod fossil was given to me at a recent local geology meeting. The person who gave it to me said a batch of them was given to him by someone who thought they were from Missouri.

After doing some Internet searching I determined this fossil mostly like resembles the inside mold of a snail shell fossil being sold as a chalcedony or agate snail fossil from Morocco, Africa. I have seen it listed as found in the Atlas Mountains or Assa or Dakla Oued ed Dahab Lagouira in Morocco.


The fossil might date to the Eocene Epoch. It might be a Turtella or Cerithium. I thought it might be fluorescent but it did not under long wave ultraviolet light. Thanks to Dale for the fossil.


Tuesday, December 10, 2019

The Fossil Fireplace - Leptaena Brachiopods


A very unique fireplace exist in a house in the city of Louisville Kentucky, USA. It was created by local geology professor from various fossil finds throughout his lifetime. I took a number of pictures of it and will blog about them in the near future. I am looking for documentation on a number of the specimens before publishing the some of the more unique fossils. I thought I would start with something I have not seen before.


The Leptaena brachiopod is a familiar sight when studying fossils from the Paleozoic Era. I have found this fossil creature in Ordovician, Silurian, Devonian and Mississippian Periods rocks (a range of over 150 million years). What I have not seen is a large number of them in a mass mortality plate like the one pictured. I assume it is why it was chosen to go in the fireplace. A very nice find!


Monday, December 9, 2019

Gennaeocrinus kentuckiensis Crinoid Calyx Fossil


This fossil appears to be a Gennaeocrinus kentuckiensis (Shumard, 1866) crinoid calyx fossil. It was found in the Jeffersonville Limestone of Jefferson County, Kentucky USA. This layer dates to the Devonian Period (Givetian). Genus was named by Charles Wachsmuth and Frank Springer in 1881.

 Wow, this fossil has a very nicely preserved outer pattern!

Document used to identify the fossil was Memoir 16 The Devonian Crinoids of the State of New York by Winifred Goldring, The University of the State of New York, 1923. Page 558? description of plate 31 on page 228?. One of the specimens used to describe fossil is listed as from collection of Doctor Springer and found at Hamilton Shale of Falls of the Ohio, Louisville, Ky. Also listed is a American Museum Natural History number 4162 found at Bear Grass creek in Louisville, Ky.

Thanks to Kenny for image and discovering this fossil.

LINK to source document.

Sunday, December 8, 2019

Rhodocrinus nodulus Crinoid Calyx Fossil


This fossil appears to be a Rhodocrinus nodulus (Hall) crinoid calyx fossil. It was found in the Jeffersonville Limestone of Jefferson County, Kentucky USA. This layer dates to the Devonian Period.

Document used to identify the fossil was Memoir 16 The Devonian Crinoids of the State of New York by Winifred Goldring, The University of the State of New York, 1923. Page 488 description of plate 2 on page 89. Specimen used to describe fossil is listed as from collection of Doctor Springer and found at Hamilton Shale of Falls of the Ohio, Louisville, Ky.

Thanks to Kenny for image and discovering this fossil.

Saturday, December 7, 2019

Polyaxons strongylasters Sponge Spicule Fossils


These images are of Polyaxons strongylasters sponge spicule fossils. They were found trapped in cavities in Halysites coral fossils and a microscope is needed to see them. The images have a 1-2mm field of view.

The fossils were found in the Louisville Limestone of Jefferson County, Kentucky USA. This layer dates to the Silurian Period.

Thanks to Kenny for images and discovering them with his microscope.


Thursday, December 5, 2019

Campanile anachoreta Gastropod Fossil


This image is of a Campanile anachoreta gastropod fossil. This animal existed in the Cretaceous Period. Fossil was discovered in Thebaid, Egypt.

Picture taken at Museo di Geologia e Paleontologia Florence Italy (Università degli Studi di Firenze) in August 2019.

Wednesday, December 4, 2019

Hemiaster heberti Fossils


This image is of Hemiaster heberti echinoid fossils. These animals existed in the Cretaceous Period. Fossils were found in Thebaid, Egypt.

Picture taken at Museo di Geologia e Paleontologia Florence Italy (Università degli Studi di Firenze) in August 2019.

Tuesday, December 3, 2019

Lyria figarii Gastropod Fossils


This image is of Lyria figarii gastropod fossils. These animals existed in the Cretaceous Period. Fossils were discovered in Thebaid, Egypt.

Picture taken at Museo di Geologia e Paleontologia Florence Italy (Università degli Studi di Firenze) in August 2019.

Sunday, December 1, 2019

Spirifera marhlini Brachiopod Fossil


This image is of a Spirifera marhlini brachiopod fossil. The animal existed in the Silurian Period. Fossil was discovered in Dudley, Scotland.

Picture taken at Museo di Geologia e Paleontologia Florence Italy (Università degli Studi di Firenze) in August 2019.