Anthonomus Snout Nosed Beetle Fossil

The image shows an Anthonomus defossus (Scudder, 1876) snout nosed beetle insect fossil found in the Florissant Formation of Teller County, Colorado, USA. It dates to the Chadronian Stage (37.2 - 33.9 million years ago) of the Eocene Epoch of the Paleogene Period. Thanks to Doug for the image. Field of view (FOV) is 2 mm.

Lacewing Insect Fossil

The image shows a lacewing insect fossil found in the Florissant Formation of Teller County, Colorado, USA. It dates to the Eocene Epoch of the Paleogene Period. Thanks to Doug for the image. Field of view (FOV) is 6 mm. 

 

Merry Christmas everybody!

Trading Places in a Devonian Sea

 

My cousin Kenny sent me some pictures of some fossils he screened from micro material I brought back from Alpena Michigan USA. What I found interesting was two specimens show the interactions between bryozoan and coral fossils. One specimen shows a coral growing on a bryozoan and another shows the reverse. First picture shows an Aulopora (Goldfuss, 1829) coral growing on what appears to be a Fistulipora (McCoy, 1849) bryozoan. The next image shows an Aulocystis ramosa with a matting Fistulipora bryozoan growing on top of it.

The next image shows the same type of coral fossil with a matting bryozoan. Field of view (FOV) in these images is about 12-15 mm.

It was found in the Potter Farm Formation and dates to Middle Devonian Period (Erian Age). Thanks to Kenny for image and screen material to find fossil.

Strophondonta crassa Brachiopod Fossil

Screening through a lot of micro material brought back from Alpena Michigan USA. This brachiopod fossil appears to be a Strophondonta crassa (Imbrie, 1959). It was found in the Potter Farm Formation and dates to Middle Devonian Period (Erian Age). The length is about 13 mm. The fossil shows signs of having a worm tube or snail attached to it. Also maybe an Aulopora coral in the bottom left part of the shell.

Thanks to Kenny for image and screen material to find fossil.

Marrella splendens Arthropod Image

 

This image created by Doctor Elvira Wood and published in 1920 in The Appendages, Anatomy, and Relationships of Trilobites by Percy E. Raymond. It is of a Marrella splendens (Walcott, 1912) arthropod. Charles Doolittle Walcott collected it from the Burgess Shale of British Columbia, Canada in 1909. He described it as a "lace crab". It turns out it is not a trilobite or a crab. The creature lived in the Cambrian Period.

This image is not correct as you will see if go to the Wikipedia entry below to see more modern interpretations of what this animal looked like. Dr. Raymond was directing Dr. Wood how to illustrate this fossil. He writes on page 116, "The accompanying restoration of the ventral surface of Marrella is a tentative one, based on Doctor Walcott's description and figures. ... The restoration is therefore subject to revision as the species becomes better known."

Learn more at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marrella

Hexagonaria Coral with Hederella Bryozoan Fossils

These pictures are of a Hexagonaria anna (Whitfield, 1973) coral fossil. It was found in the Bell Shale of the Traverse Group of Alpena, Michigan, USA. The coral lived in the Devonian Period. On the bottom of the coral is a small colony (3 cm long) of Hederella (Hall, 1883) bryozoans.