Sunday, June 14, 2020

Schuchertella subplana Brachiopod Fossil


This brachiopod fossil appears to be a Schuchertella subplana (Conrad, 1842). It was found the Osgood Formation at Napoleon Quarry in Ripley County Indiana USA. It dates to the Silurian Period .(Telychian to Sheinwoodian Stage).


I used The Silurian Fauna of Kentucky by August F. Foerste (1862-1936) for a list of fossils found in the Osgood Formation and Waldron Shale to narrow down the species. It can be found at http://www.uky.edu/OtherOrgs/KPS/poky/pages/pokych03.htm Plate XXIII figure 14. Learn more about Mr. Foerste at the very informative blog Fossils and Other Living Things entry on December 2019.


Species first documented by T. A. (Timothy Abbott) Conrad (1803-1877) in 1842 in the Observations on the Silurian and Devonian systems of the United Sates, with descriptions of new Organic Remains in Journal Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia volume VIII, page 258. A scan can be found at https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/item/79280#page/253/mode/thumb


This fossil has some similarities to a Coolinia subplana brachiopod fossil Dave at Views of the Mahantango blog found in the same Osgood Formation in 2011.
http://viewsofthemahantango.blogspot.com/2011/09/fardenia-subplana-from-waldron-shale.html