Ichthyocrinus laevis Crinoid Fossil Illustration

 

Here are some illustrations of the crinoid fossil Ichthyocrinus laevis (Conrad). The fossil was found in the Rochester shale at Erie County, New York, USA. The fossil dates to the Silurian Period. This fossil is also found in the Lockport Shale. They were published in Amadeus Grabau's (1870-1946) book Geology and Palaeontology of Eighteen Mile Creek and the Lake Shore Sections of Erie County, New York from 1899.  The images are from pages 157-158, figure 53. 

Eucalyptocrinus decorus Crinoid Fossil Illustration

 

Here are some illustrations of the crinoid fossil Eucalyptocrinus decorus (Phillips). The fossil was found in the Clinton beds at Erie County, New York, USA. The fossil dates to the Silurian Period. This fossil is also found in the Rochester Shale. They were published in Amadeus Grabau's (1870-1946) book Geology and Palaeontology of Eighteen Mile Creek and the Lake Shore Sections of Erie County, New York from 1899.  The images are from pages 157-158, figure 53.

Orthothetes subplanus Brachiopod Illustration

 

Here are some illustrations of the brachiopod fossil Orthothetes subplanus (Conrad). The fossil was found in the Clinton beds at Niagara Falls, New York, USA. The fossil dates to the Silurian Period. This fossil is also found in the Rochester Shale. They were published in Amadeus Grabau's (1870-1946) book Geology and Palaeontology of Eighteen Mile Creek and the Lake Shore Sections of Erie County, New York from 1899.  The images are from page 184, figure 91.

Pileopsis tribolatus

 

This image is of Pileopsis tribolatus gastropod fossil. It was found in Italy.

Picture taken at Museo di Geologia e Paleontologia Florence Italy (Università degli Studi di Firenze) in August 2024.

Shell Fossils at Florence Italy Mineral Museum

Here are some pictures from a mineral museum of calcite specimen found in the state of Florida of the United States. Fossils are probably the Giant Venus Clam fossil (aka Mercenaria permagna) of the Fort Drum Member, Nashua Formation of Ruck's Pit in Okeechobee County, Florida, USA. This animal lived in the Calabrian Stage (780,000 years ago to 1.8 million years ago) of the Pleistocene Epoch of the Quaternary Period.

Specimen was on display at the la Specola Museo Di Zoologia Ceropastica e Mineralogia (Florence, Italy) (August 2024).

Cephalopod Fossil at Basilica di Santa Croce

Here is a picture of a rare straight shelled cephalopod fossil found at Basilica di Santa Croce in Florence, Italy. I see a lot of coiled ammonoids in this material but not so many straight shelled cephalopods.

This building material is a iron enriched (red) limestone also known as Red Verona marble or Rosso Verona marble used in a lot of churches including this one. The material dates to the Upper Jurassic Period of the Rosso Ammonitico Formation, Oxfordian Stage, Verona Province, Venetia Region of Italy. Pictures taken August 2024.

 Look in the reddish square shapes in front of the tomb of Neri Corsini (1614-1678). Here is map.

Ammonite Fossil at Basilica di Santa Croce

 

 

Here is a picture of an ammonoid fossil found at Basilica di Santa Croce in Florence, Italy. This building material is a iron enriched (red) limestone also known as Red Verona marble or Rosso Verona marble used in a lot of churches including this one. The material dates to the Upper Jurassic Period of the Rosso Ammonitico Formation, Oxfordian Stage, Verona Province, Venetia Region of Italy. Pictures taken August 2024.

 

Look in the reddish square shapes in front of the tomb of Neri Corsini (1614-1678). Here is map.

Diploria flexuosissima

 

These images are of Diploria flexuosissima (d'Achiardi, 1868) scleractinian coral fossil. They were found in Montecchio Maggiore, Veneto, Italy and dates to the Paleogene Period.

Pictures taken at Museo di Geologia e Paleontologia Florence Italy (Università degli Studi di Firenze) in August 2024.

Septatraea geometrica Coral Fossil

 

This image is of Septatraea geometrica coral fossil. It was found in Italy and dates to the Miocene Epoch.

Picture taken at Museo di Geologia e Paleontologia Florence Italy (Università degli Studi di Firenze) in August 2024.

 

Auracarites rotzanus Plant Fossil

 

This image is of the Auracarites rotzanus plant fossil. 

 
Picture taken at Museo di Geologia e Paleontologia Florence Italy (Università degli Studi di Firenze) in August 2024.

Annularia longifolia Plant Fossil

 

This image is of the Annularia longifolia plant fossil. The plant existed in the Carboniferous Period.

Picture taken at Museo di Geologia e Paleontologia Florence Italy (Università degli Studi di Firenze) in August 2024.

Homotherium crenatidens Tiger Fossil

 

This image is of the cranium and mandible of a Homotherium crenatidens saber-tooth tiger fossil. The animal existed in the Pleistocene Epoch. Fossil was discovered in 1870 near Sammerzzano, Upper Valdarno, Italy.


Picture taken at Museo di Geologia e Paleontologia Florence Italy (Università degli Studi di Firenze) in August 2024.

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Homotherium

New Finds of Myelodactylus convolutus

 My cousin Kenny has found two new Myelodactylus convolutus (Hall, 1852) fossils in the last month. This criniod is somewhat unique as it is usually found coiled with its small calyx hidden inside the coil. They remind one of a modern millipede. Both specimens were found from Waldron Shale at the same quarry in Clark County, Indiana, USA. These fossils date to the Silurian Period.

Return To the Fossils of the Vatican

Last month, I returned to  St. Peter's Basilica in Vatican City near Rome, Italy. On September 3, 2019 I posted a blog entry about finding ammonite fossils in some of the floor slabs on a visit there. This building material is a iron enriched (red) limestone also known as Red Verona marble or Rosso Verona marble used in a lot of churches including this one. I now know to look for fossils when I see the reddish-pink stone in floors. The material dates to the Upper Jurassic Period of the Rosso Ammonitico Formation, Oxfordian Stage, Verona Province, Venetia Region of Italy.

 

On this visit, I investigated some of the slabs in more obscure locations like the corners along walls and found some very nicely preserved ammonoid fossils. It appears the stone mason might have intentional put some of these slabs with fossils there and they have held up well since people are not walking on that surface.

Fossils at Neuschwanstein Castle

Neuschwanstein castle is an iconic building that is one of the most visited tourist spots in Germany. It is located in Swabia, Bavaria, Germany near the Austrian border. King Ludwig II began building the castle in 1869 and was still not completed by the time of his death in 1886.

I don't think the stone these fossils were found in was original the when the castle was being built in the 1800s. They are in the floor tile of a hallway that leads out the gift shop to where the restrooms are and then a door way going to some stairs which lead to the lower levels of the castle where the kitchens were.

The fossils are to ammonids probably from the Jurassic or Cretaceous Periods.

Fluorescent Opal Belemnite Fossil

This opal fossil is UV fluorescent. The original aragonite internal shell dissolved and was replaced by opal in this belemnite fossil. It existed in the Cretaceous Period. Fossil was probably found in Coober Pedy, Australia. Specimen was on display at the la Specola Museo Di Zoologia Ceropastica e Mineralogia (Florence, Italy) (August 2024).

 

Australian Opal Belemnite Fossil

The original aragonite internal shell dissolved and was replaced by opal in this belemnite fossil. It existed in the Cretaceous Period. Fossil was found in Coober Pedy, Australia. Specimen was on display at the Natural History Museum Vienna (Naturhistorisches Museum Wien) (August 2024).

Iridescent Placenticeras meeki Ammonite Fossils

Here are two pictures of a Placenticeras meeki (Böhm, 1898) ammonite fossils found in the Bearpaw Shale Formation of the Lethbridge District, Alberta, Canada. The fossil dates to the Cretaceous Period. Fossils were on display at the Natural History Museum Vienna (Naturhistorisches Museum Wien) on August 2024.

 

Conoclypus Sea Urchin Fossils

Here are two pictures of a Conoclypus (Agassiz, 1839) echinoderm fossil found in Bad Häring, Tyrol, Austria. The fossil dates to the Miocene Epoch, Oligocene Period. Fossils were on display at the Natural History Museum Vienna (Naturhistorisches Museum Wien) on August 2024.

Ammonite Fossils at Munich Residence Museum

When visiting old European cities, ammonites fossils can be found in certain types of limestone. I recently found a these red/white fossils in Germany at the Munich Residence (Residenz München). A number of the rooms contain a red polished limestone tile floors, studying this material one can find ammonoid fossils. This limestone reminds me of what I have seen in Italian churches that also have ammonoid fossils. These ammonoids could date to the Upper Jurassic Period of the Rosso Ammonitico Formation, Oxfordian Stage found in the Verona Province, Venetia Region of Italy. This iron enriched (red) limestone is also known as Red Verona Marble or Rosso Verona Marble. I am not sure if there is a source of this limestone in Austria or Germany or if it was imported from northern Italy. 

The limestone is used in floors in many of the rooms you are allowed to tour in the museum. I came across a lot of fossils and probably could have found more if not for a time constraint and the crowd of visitors touring the building.

The images on this post were found in the Octogon room which connects to the lavish 66 meter Antiquarium room commissioned by Duke Albrecht V from 1568 to 1571. This room seemed to have some of the best preserved and most fossils in its tiles. These pictures only represent some of the ammonites, I estimate I saw at least 10 in my short time looking. This building in bombed in 1944 during World War II and the original floors might have been destroyed. These images were taken in August 2024.