Tenontosaurus tilletti Dinosaur Fossil

This fossil was displayed on August 2022, at the Harvard Museum of Natural History in Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA. This dinosaur limb bone belonged to a herbivore ornithopod Tenontosaurus tilletti (Ostrom, 1970). This specimen was found in the Cloverly Formation at Montana USA. It dates to the Middle Cretaceous Period.

Priscacara pealei Fish Fossil

This fossil was displayed on August 2022, at the Harvard Museum of Natural History in Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA. This fish fossil is called Priscacara pealei (Cope, 1887). This specimen was found in the Green River Formation at Kemmerer Wyoming USA. It dates to the Eocene Epoch (48 million years ago), Paleogene Period

New Albany Shale Conodonts

 

 

Here are two freshly found conodont fossils in the New Albany Shale (Late Devonian Period). The first appears to be some sort of Spathognathodus sp. (Branson and Mehl, 1941). The second appears to be of the genus Elictognathus (Cooper, 1939). Both were found on a shale plate about 4 cm by 4 cm. Field of view for images was about 1 mm. Specimens were collected in Floyd County, Indiana, USA. Indiana Geological Survey Bulletin 41, Conodonts from the Jacob Chapel Bed (Mississippian) of the New Albany Shale in Southern Indiana by Carl B. Rexford (1969) was used for the identification of these fossils.

Harvard Notogoneus osculus Fish Fossil

 

This fossil was displayed on August 2022, at the Harvard Museum of Natural History in Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA. This fish fossil is called Notogoneus osculus (Cope, 1885). This specimen was found in the Green River Formation at Kemmerer Wyoming USA. It dates to the Eocene Epoch, Paleogene Period. Catalog number is MCZ5350 or VPF-5350.

https://mczbase.mcz.harvard.edu/guid/MCZ:VP:VPF-5350

Posted another specimen at the American Museum of Natural History in 2020.

https://louisvillefossils.blogspot.com/2020/03/notogoneus-osculus-fish-fossil.html 

Fish Fossils from Lebanon

 

Here are some more pictures of Diplomystus brevissimus (Blainville, 1818) fish fossils. The fish lived during the Cretaceous Period (about 150 million years ago) in what is now Beirut, Lebanon. They were bought by A.E. Day in 1902 and are now on display at the Harvard Museum of the Ancient Near East as of August 2022. 

 

See this link for images from yesterday's posting.

Diplomystus brevissimus Fish Fossils

 

Here are some pictures of Diplomystus brevissimus (Blainville, 1818) fish fossils. The fish lived during the Cretaceous Period (about 150 million years ago) in what is now Beirut, Lebanon. They were bought by A.E. Day in 1902 and are now on display at the Harvard Museum of the Ancient Near East as of August 2022. Fossil is also known as Armigatus brevissimus (Blainville, 1818). Species name in Latin means "smallest or shortest".

Plate of Promicroceras Ammonite Fossils

Picture of plate of Promicroceras (Spath, 1925) ammonite fossils. Found in Charmouth, Dorset, England. Creatures existed in the Lower Jurassic Period (190 million years ago; upper Sinemurian age). Common ammonite found in the Black Ven Marl on the coasts of Lyme Regis and Charmouth.

Genus named by Leonard Frank Spath (1882-1957) in 1925.

Thanks to Dale for letting me take this picture.

Ukrainian Sea Scorpion Fossils

Here are some pictures of Eurypterus tetragonophthalmus (Fischer, 1839) sea scorpion fossils. These creatures existed in the Silurian Period. Specimens were found at Kamenets Podolsky, Ukraine.

Thanks to Dale for allowing these pictures.

Platyceras dumosum Snail Fossil (ex-museum specimen)

 

This fossil is a Platyceras dumosum (Conrad, 1840) spiny snail (gastropod). It was found at the Falls of the Ohio in Clark County, Indiana USA. Fossils cannot be collected at the Falls any more but this one came from a de-accessioned museum collection in Michigan. The layer it was found is called the Jeffersonville Limestone which dates to the Middle Devonian Period.

 Judging from by the color this fossil might have been collected over 100 years ago.

The genus Platyceras was named by Timothy Abbott Conrad (1803-1877) in Third Annual Report on the Palaeontological Department of the Survey. New York Geological Survey, Annual Report 4(1):199-207 1840.

Thanks to Dale for letting me take these pictures.

 

Probelesodon minor Fossil

 

This fossil reptile skull and jaw were displayed on August 2022, at the Harvard Museum of Natural History in Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA. It is called Probelesodon minor (Romer, 1973). The creature lived during the middle Triassic Period. Fossil was found in 1965 in the Chañares Formation of La Rioja Province of Argentina.

Placenticeras Ammolite Fossil

 

 

This fossil was displayed on August 2022, at the Harvard Museum of Natural History in Cambridge,Massachusetts, USA. It is an ammonite fossil is called Placenticeras (Meek, 1870). The creature lived during the Upper Cretaceous Period (80 million years ago). Fossil was found in Bearpaw Formation on the Blackfeet Reservation of southern Alberta, Canada. Specimen on loan to museum from the Mineral Trust.

The amazing iridescent colors are the mineral ammolite (aragonite).

Aeger tipularis Prawn Fossil

This fossil was displayed on August 2022, at the Harvard Museum of Natural History in Cambridge,Massachusetts, USA. This prawn fossil is called Aeger tipularis (Schlotheim, 1822). The crustacean lived during the Jurassic Period (Kimmeridgian Stage). Fossil was found Solnhofen Limestone of Bavaria, Germany. Catalog number is MCZ106308.

https://mczbase.mcz.harvard.edu/guid/MCZ:IP:106308

Eurypterus remipes Eurypterid Fossil

 

This fossil was displayed on August 2022, at the Harvard Museum of Natural History in Cambridge,Massachusetts, USA. This eurypterid fossil is called Eurypterus remipes (Dekay, 1825).  This sea scorpion lived during the Silurian Period. This specimen was found in Litchfield, New York which is famous for this type of fossil.

Amadeus Grabau's Eighteen Mile Creek Palaeontology Book

 

This week a book arrived call the Geology and Palaeontology of Eighteen Mile Creek and the Lake Shore Sections of Erie County, New York - A Hand-book for the Use of Students and Amateurs by Amadeus W. Grabau Fellow in Palaeontology, Harvard University; Late Instructor in Palaeontology in the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Published by the Buffalo Society of Natural Sciences 1898-1899.

I was attracted to this book for a number of reasons: Amadeus Grabau (1870-1946) is a famous paleontologist, Elvira Wood (1865-1928) did a number of illustrations for this work, the book is signed to a well known naturalist William P. Alexander (1881-1956) in Buffalo, New York, and the Devonian fossils are very similar to the ones we find in Louisville, Kentucky.

It is inscribed: "To Prof. Wm P. Alexander Whose absence on this occasion we deplore. With the compliments Amadeus W. Grabau Aug 19 /33." William Alexander while born in New York, studied violin and cello at the Conservatory of Music in Leipzig, Germany. He attended the University of Leipzig. He returned to the United States and taught agriculture at Cornell University. He served as assistant to Professor Anna Botsford Comstock (1854-1930). In 1920 he became assistant curator of education at the Buffalo Museum of Science. In 1940, he retired from this position in 1940 after co-authoring seven books and numerous articles about nature. It is possible he crossed paths with someone I have written earlier in this blog Elizabeth Letson (1874-1919) who was one time director of the museum and noted malacologist and resident of Buffalo, New York.

 

 

In the inscription, Dr. Grabau is referring to a reunion of 75 friends and family at his brother's home in Sunset Hill, New York in 1933. Dr. Grabau had been living in China since about 1920 where he was teaching at the University of Peking and was a member of the Chinese Geological Survey. He returned on June 27, 1933 to the United States to attend the International Geological Congress in Washington D.C. He left to go back to China on September 8, 1933. This trip is documented in an excellent book by Allan Mazur entitled A Romance in Natural History - The Lives and Works of Amadeus Grabau and Mary Antin (2004) on 348-360.

 

It appears that Professor Alexander missed this event and Dr. Grabau signed a paper seen in the image above that was glued in to the handbook. At an event earlier in the week, the Buffalo Society of Natural Sciences hosted a tea in Amadeus Grabau's honor. Dr. Grabau proposed a revision and enlargement of this guide and this book may have been a gift to the curator to help with proposal. No new update was every released.

 

Below is a sample of the fossil pages in the book. The figure 10 illustration was done by Amadeus Grabau while 10A was copy of a Hall illustration done by Elvira Wood. Throughout the book are blue ink notations listing fossils from the Hibbard Collection.  They refer to a local paleontologist Raymond R. Hibbard (1895-1957). He had donated part of fossil collection (more than 100,000 fossils) to Buffalo Museum of Science. He was appointed research associate in invertebrate paleontology at the museum and made honorary life member of the Buffalo Society of Natural Sciences. [Source: December 10, 1957 obit. in Buffalo Evening News page 33).

 

 

 

 

 

March Fly Fossil

This fossil insect was found in the Florissant Formation of Teller County, Colorado USA. It appears to be march fly. Fossil dates to the Eocene Epoch of the Paleogene Period (about 34 million years ago). Field of views is approximately 7 mm.

Thanks to Kenny for the image.

Midge Insect Fossil

This fossil insect was found in the Florissant Formation of Teller County, Colorado USA. It appears to be midge fly. Fossil dates to the Eocene Epoch of the Paleogene Period (about 34 million years ago). Field of views is approximately 5 mm.

Thanks to Kenny for the image.

Phenanthera petalifera Flower Fossil

This fossil flower was found in the Florissant Formation of Teller County, Colorado USA. It appears to be Phenanthera petalifera (Hollick, 1907). Fossil dates to the Eocene Epoch of the Paleogene Period (about 34 million years ago).

Appropriately, this being a flower fossil that florissant is French for flowering. Thanks to Kenny for this picture.

The American Naturalist, Sept. 1908, Some Results of the Florissant Expedition of 1908 by Professor T.D.A. Cockerell (page 576)

Anaethalion knorri Fish Fossil

This fossil was displayed on August 2022, at the Harvard Museum of Natural History in Cambridge,Massachusetts, USA. This fish fossil is called Anaethalion knorri (Blainville, 1818).  Fish lived during the Jurassic Period (Kimmeridgian Stage). Fossil was found Solnhofen Limestone Formation of Bavaria, Germany. Catalog number is MCZ5333.

This display was odd in the MCZBASE database lists its name as Aethalion knorri but the name on the wall in the museum lists it as Analthanion knorr.

https://mczbase.mcz.harvard.edu/guid/MCZ:VP:VPF-5333 

Urocles lepidotus Fish Fossil

This fossil was displayed on August 2022, at the Harvard Museum of Natural History in Cambridge,Massachusetts, USA. This fish fossil is called Urocles lepidotus (Agassiz).  Fish lived during the Jurassic Period (Kimmeridgian Stage). Fossil was found Solnhofen Limestone Formation of Bavaria, Germany. Catalog number is MCZ5336.

https://mczbase.mcz.harvard.edu/guid/MCZ:VP:VPF-5336 

Macrosemius rostratus Fish Fossil

This fossil was displayed on August 2022, at the Harvard Museum of Natural History in Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA. This fish fossil is called Macrosemius rostratus  (Agassiz, 1844).  Fish lived during the Jurassic Period (Kimmeridgian Stage). Fossil was found Solnhofen Limestone Formation of Bavaria, Germany. Catalog number is MCZ5300.

https://mczbase.mcz.harvard.edu/guid/MCZ:VP:VPF-5300 

Leptolepis dubius Fish Fossil

This fossil was displayed on August 2022, at the Harvard Museum of Natural History in Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA. This fish fossil is called Leptolepis dubius  (Blainville, 1818).  Fish lived during the Jurassic Period (Kimmeridgian Stage). Fossil was found Solnhofen Limestone Formation of Bavaria, Germany. Catalog number is MCZ7090.

https://mczbase.mcz.harvard.edu/guid/MCZ:VP:VPF-7090

Myelodactylus? Crinoid Fossil

 

I found this rock in a pile of river rock in Louisville, Kentucky USA. It appears to be a crinoid holdfast. Rock contains a lot of crinoid fossil fragments.

It reminds me of a Myelodactylus crinoid fossil. See these previous posts of ones found in this area:

https://louisvillefossils.blogspot.com/2014/05/myelodactylus-crinoid-attached-to.html

https://louisvillefossils.blogspot.com/2010/06/silurian-crinoid-arm.html 

 https://louisvillefossils.blogspot.com/2020/02/myelodactylus-convolutus-crinoid-from.html 

https://louisvillefossils.blogspot.com/2020/02/myelodactylus-convulotus-crinoid-from.html

https://louisvillefossils.blogspot.com/2010/05/silurian-crinoid-arm.html