Taxocrinus whitfieldi Crinoid Fossil

This posting shows a number of images of what appears to be a Taxocrinus whitfieldi crinoid fossil. It was found in Glen Dean Member of Grayson County, Kentucky, USA. The fossil dates to the Mississippian Period.

Thanks to Kenny for the images.

Galeodea echinophoria Gastropod Fossil

This image is of a Galeodea echinophoria gastropod fossils. The creature existed in the Pliocene Epoch, Neogene Period and were found in Orciano, Pisano, Tuscany, Italy.

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

Echinophora intermedium Gastropod Fossil

This image is of an Echinophora intermedium gastropod fossil. The creature existed in the Pliocene Epoch, Neogene Period and was found in Orciano, Pisano, Tuscany, Italy.

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

Dolatocrinus Crinoid Calyx Fossil

Here is fresh find in what appears to be a Dolatocrinus crinoid calyx fossil. It was found in the Jeffersonville Limestone of Jefferson County, Kentucky, USA. Fossil dates to the Middle Devonian Period.

Thanks to Kenny for the image.

Fusinus longiroster Gastropod Fossil

This image is of a Fusinus longiroster gastropod fossil. The creature existed in the Pliocene Epoch, Neogene Period and was found in Orciano, Pisano, Tuscany, Italy.

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

Pecten jacobaeus Great Scallop Fossil

These images are of the Pecten jacobaeus pelecypod fossil. The animal existed in the Pliocene Epoch (4-3 million years ago) of Neogene Period. Fossils were discovered in Capasanta Isola di Planosa Livorno Italy.

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

Pecten Scallop + Coral Fossil

I am not sure where or what time period this fossil is from. It appears to be a Pecten pelecypod fossil with small coral colony attached.  Looking at the indentation in the shell it may have had more colonies attached at one time.

It was part of the James Conkin collection.

Striatopora Coral Fossil

This fossil appears to be a Striatopora bellistriata (Greene) coral. It was found in the Jeffersonville Limestone in Clark County, Indiana USA. The fossil existed the Middle Devonian Period.

Once it was ultrasonic cleaned, the white fossil seemed to sparkle quite a bit.

Platyceras Snail Fossil

This fossil appears to be a Platyceras snail of a yet undetermined species. It was found in 2002 in a quarry in Clark County, Indiana USA. The layer it was found is called the Jeffersonville Limestone which dates to the Middle Devonian Period. It was part of the James Conkin collection. Thanks to Kenny for updating me about its species name.

Echinocorys Echinoderm Fossil

This image is of a sea urchin fossil called Echinocorys.  The shell once consisted of calcite but has since been replaced by crystalline silica. This animal lived in the Cretaceous Period. The fossil was found at Sidmouth, Devon, England.

This specimen was on display August 2016 in Natural History Museum of London, England.

Opal Gastropod Fossils

Pictured are some nice fossils found in New South Wales, Australia (Lightning Ridge?). These snails date to the Cretaceous Period.

Fossils were on display August 2016 in Natural History Museum of London, England.

Myelodactylus convulotus Crinoid from Waldron Shale

Staying with the same fossil as yesterday's posting, this one is from an older part of the Silurian Period. It was found in the Waldron Shale of Clark County, Indiana USA. The fossil is an enrolled Myelodactylus convulotus crinoid stem. My cousin Kenny found it in 2012.

Myelodactylus convolutus Crinoid from Louisville Limestone

Recently, I have tried to put more effort in labeling a lot of collected fossils in my collection with names. At times difficult, due to poor note keeping by me when I picked them up or received them from someone else. So I sometimes rely on the previous posts to help figure out what was found and when. While looking back, I found that I had a number of unidentified fossil entries that I did not visit again to give a name. One was from May 10, 2010 which turns out to be a Myelodactylus convolutus? crinoid.

My cousin Kenny helped with the full name and sent me a picture of one from his collection seen above. This one is younger in that it was found in the Louisville Limestone and not the Waldron Shale. The fossil was found in the Jefferson County Kentucky USA and dates to the Middle Silurian Period. Also look at the blog post in 2014 showing one fully extended and attached with holdfast to a large coral.

This crinoid was unique in that the remains shown are believed to be its stem and not just an arm. In that inner coil would be a calyx with arms. Unless it was quite small on this species I do not see where the calyx is thus must have snapped off.

Refer to this article Myelodactylid crinoids from the Silurian of the British Isles by Stephen K Donovan and George D Sevastopulo from 1989 Palaeontology Volume 32 pages 689-710 at https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/part/173971#/summary Plate 81 shows clear examples of what the calyx looked like though it might be somewhat different in the species of this fossil

Fossil Sponge in Ice

Here is a very fresh find from the Waldron Shale. This morning it was below freezing in the Louisville area. This fossil appears to be a Receptaculites subturbinatus. It was found in Clark County Indiana USA and dates to the Silurian Period. I might have some better pictures later once it thaws out.

Thanks to Kenny for the image.

Modern Brachiopod

This specimen came from the Dr. James Conkin collection. It had no label and I suppose was used for teaching purposes to show what a non-extinct species of brachiopod looked like. It definitely looks like a lamp shell. At first I thought it might be easy to figure out its name but now I am not sure. It might be a species of Laqueus. I know some are found off the coast of California. My next idea was to look at images I took at the American Museum of Natural History in New York. They had a picture of a lamp shell called Liothyrella notoreadensis that look similar to this one. They had several containers on display with no names so these creatures are a lot more diverse than I realized.

So I am not sure where it is from or its exact name.

Onychocrinus pulaskiensis Crinoid Calyx Reconstructed

This fossil appears to be an Onychocrinus pulaskiensis crinoid calyx. It was meticulously reconstructed by my cousin Kenny. He found it in the Glen Dean Member of Grayson County, Kentucky, USA. The fossil dates to the Mississippian Period.

Deltablastus permicus Blastoid Fossil

This fossil appears to be a Deltablastus permicus blastoid found in the Sonnebait Formation(?) of Timor. The fossil dates to the Permian Period. It was part of the James Conkin collection.

Cliothyridina sublamellosa Brachiopod with Hederella Bryozoan Fossil

This image shows what appears to be a Hederella bryozoan and spirobis (palaeoconchus?) that grew on a Cliothyridina sublamellosa brachiopod fossil. Fossils were found in the Glen Dean layer at Grayson County, Kentucky, USA. These creatures existed in the Mississippian Period.

Thanks to Kenny for image.

Corrections: Earlier post listed the brachiopod as a Reticularia setigera and the spelling for spirobis has been adjusted.

Hederella Bryozoan on Zaphrentoides Coral

Here is a nice find showing 3 different fossils. What appears to be a Hederella and unknown bryozoan that grew on a Zaphrentoides coral fossil. Fossils were found in the Glen Dean layer at Grayson County, Kentucky, USA. These creatures existed in the Mississippian Period.

Thanks to Kenny for image.

Cast of Large Ambonychia Clam Fossil with Bryozoan

This fossil mold appears to be an Ambonychia clam with both valves and is big enough to almost cover the palm of a hand. The clam fossil may have several colonies of cyclostome bryozoan (though only their holdfasts remain). I don't see where the zooids would bud out of their protective structures.The branching pattern seen in the pictures can be found on quite a few clam molds at the site this fossil was collected.
On both sides there are remnants of another bryzoan in what seems to be Prasapora simulatrix.

It looks like the shell eroded away and the bryozoan set up shop on the mold but on both sides. Not sure how this was accomplished at the same time which leads me to believe they grew on one side till the fossil was turned over and then new colonies grew on this water exposed side. Just a theory...

This fossil was found in Bullitt County, Kentucky, USA. It might be from the Grant Lake Formation. The fossil dates to the Ordovician Period.

Platyceras dumosum Spiny Snail

This fossil appears to be a Platyceras dumosum (Conrad, 1840) spiny snail. It was found in 2002 in a quarry in Clark County, Indiana USA. The layer it was found is called the Jeffersonville Limestone which dates to the Middle Devonian Period. It was part of the James Conkin collection.

Spinocyrtia (Platyrachella) oweni Brachiopod Fossil

This brachiopod fossil was found in the Silver Creek Member of the North Vernon Limestone of Clark County, Indiana, USA. It appears to be a Spinocyrtia (Platyrachella) oweni. It existed in the Middle Devonian Period.

Fossil was cleaned with ultrasonic cleaner.