Amplexus Pyrite Horn Coral

This fossil is a pyritized horn coral. The identification appears to be Amplexus fragilis (White & St. John) of the Coral Ridge fauna, New Providence Shale of Jefferson County, Kentucky. Time period for this specimen is Middle Mississippian (Osagean). It was found by a local geology professor Barbara Conkin years ago.

Nummulites granulosa Foraminifera Fossil

 

Here is a picture of a foraminifera Nummulites granulosa fossil at Museo di Geologia e Paleontologia Florence Italy (Università degli Studi di Firenze) in August 2024.  The creature lived during the Paleogene Period. It was found at Roncà, Veneto Italy.

Strombus fortisi Gastropod Fossil

Here is a picture of a gastropod Strombus fortisi (Brongniart, 1823) fossil at Museo di Geologia e Paleontologia Florence Italy (Università degli Studi di Firenze) in August 2024.  The creature lived during the Paleogene Period. It was found at Roncà, Veneto Italy.

Gissocrinus goniodactylus Crinoid Fossil

This image is of a Gissocrinus goniodactylus (Phillips, 1839) crinoid fossil. It was found in the area of Dudley, Scotland. The fossil dates to the Silurian Period.

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

Spatiopora Bryozoan Fossil

This image is of a Spatiopora (Ulrich, 1882) bryozoan fossil. It was found in the area of Cincinnati Ohio USA. The fossil dates to the Ordovician Period.

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

Orthoceratidae Cephalopod Fossil

This image is of an Orthoceratidae cephalopod fossil. It was found in the area of Cincinnati Ohio USA. The fossil dates to the Ordovician Period.

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

Rafinesquina ponderosa Brachiopod Fossil

This image is of a Rafinesquina ponderosa (Hayes and Ulrich, 1903) brachiopod fossil. It was found in the area of Cincinnati Ohio USA. The fossil dates to the Ordovician Period.

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

 

Grewingkia canadensis Horn Coral Fossils

 

This image is of a Grewingkia canadensis (Billings, 1862) horn coral fossil with some borings. It was found in the area of Cincinnati Ohio USA. The fossil dates to the Ordovician Period.

 

Picture taken at Museo di Geologia e Paleontologia Florence Italy (Università degli Studi di Firenze) in August 2024. The image below is of another horn coral fossil which might have a piece of a Cryptolithus cephalon trilobite.

 

Cyathophyllum heliantoides Coral Fossil

This image is of a Cyathophyllum heliantoides (Goldfuss, 1826) coral fossil. It was found in Eifel, Germany. The horn coral lived in the Devonian Period.

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

Spirifer laevicosta Brachiopod Fossil

 

This image is of a Spirifer laevicosta brachiopod fossil. It was found in Eifel, Germany. The brachiopod lived in the Devonian Period.

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

 

Lucina proavia Pelecypod Fossil

 

This image is of a Lucina proavia  (Goldfuss, 1841) pelecypod fossil. It was found in Eifel, Germany. The bivalve existed in the Devonian Period.

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

Columnariq sulcata Coral Fossil

 

This image is of a Columnariq sulcata  plant fossil. It was found in Eifel, Germany. The coral existed in the Devonian Period.

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

Cycadopteris brauniana Plant Fossil

 

This image is of a Cycadopteris brauniana plant fossil. It was found in Verona, Italy. 

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

 

Pterophyllum rectum Plant Fossil

 

This image is of a Pterophyllum rectum (Stur, 1885) plant fossil. It was found in Lunz, Austria. The fossil dates to the Late Triassic Period.

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

Carabocrinus vancortleandti Crinoid Fossil

Here is a picture of a crinoid calyx identified as Carabocrinus vancortleandti (Billings, 1859) fossil at Museo di Geologia e Paleontologia Florence Italy (Università degli Studi di Firenze) in August 2024.  The creature lived during the Ordovician Period. It might have been found in Canada.

The species was named by young lawyer from Ottawa, Canada named Elkanah Billings. He would later be Canada's first official paleontologist. In his 1859 publication, On the Crinoideae of the Lower Silurian Rocks of Canada, Billings wrote, "The species is dedicated to Dr. E. Vancortlandt, of the city of Ottawa, whose zeal in the advancement of science has been productive of many beneficial results," The Ottawa Citizen newspaper wrote in a 2020 article about the Victorian era curio collector Dr. Edward Van Cortlandt who collected holotype fossil of this species.

Persististrombus latus Gastropod Fossil

Here is a picture of a gastropod Strombus bubonius (Lamarck, 1822) fossil at Museo di Geologia e Paleontologia Florence Italy (Università degli Studi di Firenze) in August 2024.  The creature lived during the Pleistocene Epoch. It was found at Vallebiaia, Toscany, Italy.

Another name it is referred to is Persististrombus latus (Gmelin, 1791).

Mya truncata Pelecypod Fossil

Here is a picture of a pelecypod Mya truncata (Linnaeus, 1758) fossil housed in a display case at Museo di Geologia e Paleontologia Florence Italy (Università degli Studi di Firenze) in August 2024.  The creature lived during the Pleistocene Epoch. It was found at Monte Mario, Lazio, Italy.

Panopea norvegica Fossil

Here is a picture of a pelecypod Panopea norvegica (A.T. von Middendorff, 1849) fossil housed in a display case at Museo di Geologia e Paleontologia Florence Italy (Università degli Studi di Firenze) in August 2024.  The creature lived during the Pleistocene Epoch. It was found at Monte Mario, Lazio, Italy.

Strombus bubonius Fossil

Here is a picture of a gastropod Strombus bubonius (Lamarck, 1822) fossil at Museo di Geologia e Paleontologia Florence Italy (Università degli Studi di Firenze) in August 2024.  The creature lived during the Pleistocene Epoch. It was found at Vallebiaia, Toscany, Italy.

Another name it is referred to is Persististrombus latus (Gmelin, 1791).

Pecten jacobaeus Fossil

Here is a picture of a pelecypod Pecten jacobaeus (Linnaeus, 1758) fossil housed in a display case at Museo di Geologia e Paleontologia Florence Italy (Università degli Studi di Firenze) in August 2024.  The creature lived during the Pleistocene Epoch. It was found at Monte Mario, Lazio, Italy.

Otozamites trevisani Plant Fossil

This image is of an Otozamites trevisani plant fossil. The plant may have existed in the Pliocene Epoch. Fossil was found in Roverè di Velo, Verona Italy.

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

Acer integrilobum Plant Fossil

This image is of an Acer integrilobum maple tree leaf fossil. The plant existed in the Pliocene Epoch. Fossil was found in the upper Valdarno of Tuscany in Italy.

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

Glyptostrobus europaeus Plant Fossil

This image is of a Glyptostrobus europaeus cypress plant fossil. The plant existed in the Pliocene Epoch. Fossil was found in the upper Valdarno of Tuscany in Italy.

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

Cyperus Plant Fossil

This image is of a Cyperus sp. plant fossil. The plant existed in the Miocene Epoch. Fossil was discovered in the village of Prata of the Grosseto province in Italy.

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

Cyathoseris Coral Fossil

Cyathoseris (Milne, Edwards & Haime, 1849) is a coral fossil. It existed during the Eocene Epoch (about 56-34 million years ago ). This fossil was found inWachberg Austria. Fossil was on display at Natural History Museum Vienna (Naturhistorisches Museum Wien) (August 2024).

Turrisasps elektor Fossil

Here are pictures of a primitive fish fossil called Turrisasps elektor (Daeschler, Furmes & Mullison, 2003). Note fingernails in picture on size of these fossils. It existed in the  Upper Devonian Period and was found in the Catskill Formation Duncannon Member of Red Hill Pennsylvania USA.

Thanks to Kenny for the images. 

 

Ageleodus pectinatus Fossil Teeth

Here is a picture of two sets of fossil teeth from a primitive shark called Ageleodus pectinatus (Agassiz, 1838). Note fingernails in picture of an idea of how small these fossils are. It existed in the  Upper Devonian Period and was found in the Catskill Formation Duncannon Member of Red Hill Pennsylvania USA.

Thanks to Kenny for the image. 

20th Anniversary of the Montana Dinosaur Trail

I was happy to see some new paleontology videos appearing on YouTube by Emily Graslie where she visits The Montana Dinosaur Trail. Emily made a name for herself as Chicago's Field Museum's Chief Curiosity Correspondent making videos under the The Brain Scoop name. She followed up with the excellent video series in 2019 called the Prehistoric Road Trip and shown on PBS stations.

The first video takes us to Ekalaka, Montana. A place where the Carter County Museum is located. It was founded in 1936 and was first county museum in the state. It houses fossils found by ranchers and farmers in the area. They have a mounted Edmontosaurus (Lambe, 1917) dinosaur.

Her second video takes us to Makoshika State Park at Glendive, Montana. It is home to at least 10 different dinosaur species found in the Hell Creek Formation of the late Cretaceous Period. Some dinosaur fossils found there are of Edmontosaurus (Lambe, 1917), Ankylosauria (Osborn, 1923), Tyrannosaurus rex (Osborn, 1905), and Triceratops (Marsh, 1889). One geological feature that can be seen in the landscape is the KPG boundary. They have a nice collection of aquatic fossils (turtles, gar scales, crocodile pieces, clams, Mosasaur, Elasmosaur). Another highlight is an exhibit of the 1990s excavation of one of the best preserved Thescelosaurus (Gilmore, 1913) fossils found.

She ends the video at Fort Peck Dam where you can find a restaurant that serves cheesy fried pickles.

For the third video, it highlights the Frontier Gateway Museum (201 State Street, Glendive, Montana). They have a mounted Struthiomimus (Osborn, 1917) dinosaur named Margie. Also Hadrosaurus (Leidy, 1858) fossils are on display. After leaving this museum she visits the Phillips County Museum at Malta, Montana. This museum houses a Brachylophosaurus (Sternberg, 1953) fossil named Elvis. They have a display of Montana agates.

I remember visiting the state as a child with my family and my uncle's family. My aunt was buying moss agate jewelry and I still have a few polished pieces from that trip. The museum also has a meteorite display in which Emile comments "I wonder if the dinosaurs feel a little weird about the meteorites being so close." :)  Another unique display is that of different types of barbed wire from the late 1800s.

Her last video is of a visit to the Great Plain Dinosaur Museum in Malta, Montana. The museum has ammonite fossils from the Western Interior Seaway (77 million years ago) that covered part of modern day Montana. Also found out the museum is display case showing shark teeth fossil from around the United States and fish fossils from the Green River Formation of Wyoming.

I am always looking for natural history museums to visit and now have some new locations to add to my list to visit. Please check out these informative videos about paleontology sites to visit in Montana.

Monument Composed of Fossil Corals of the Bardstown Reef

While visiting Bardstown Kentucky USA I found a monument built there in 1972. The plaque read "BITS OF HISTORY CASCADE RELICS OF HISTORY -- THE BELL, ROCK, TROUGH, MILL STONES AND LARGE ROCKS." When I closely examined the top section of structure it became obvious that was composed of maybe a hundred fossil corals. The monument is next to the The City of Bardstown Building, Bardstown Historical Museum/Oscar Ketz Museum of Bourbon History, and Jones Avenue Park & Don Harned Little League Field.

The corals date to the Ordovician Period and might be part of the Whitewater Formation (aka Bardstown Reef). I think these fossils might be Foerstephyllum (Bassler, 1941) and I have also seen the genus Favosites (Lamarck, 1816) to describe what these corals are.

I believe there is a monument to St. Joseph at the St. Joseph Catholic cemetery in Bardstown with its based composed of coral fossils like the ones pictured in this posting.
 

Hyneria lindae Fish Tail Fossil

On a recent trip to Pennsylvania, my cousin was able to see a collection of fossils. This picture is of one of them. The creature was an early lobe-finned fish like an Eusthenopteron (Whiteaves, 1881) related to tetrapods. This particular fossil has been identified as a Hyneria lindae (Thomson, 1968). It existed in the  Upper Devonian Period and was found in the Catskill Formation Duncannon Member of Red Hill Pennsylvania USA.

Thanks to Kenny for the image. 

Trigonarca matheroniana Fossil

Trigonarca matheroniana (d'Orbigny, 1844) is a pelecypod fossil. This genus might be known as Arca (Linnaeus, 1758). It existed during the Cretaceous Period (about 120-70 million years ago ). This fossil was found in Uchaux, France. Fossil was on display at Natural History Museum Vienna (Naturhistorisches Museum Wien) (August 2024).

Pterotrigonia vaelsiensis Fossil

Pterotrigonia vaelsiensis (Boehm, 1884) is a pelecypod fossil. It existed during the Cretaceous Period (about 120-70 million years ago ). This fossil was found in Uchaux, France. Fossil was on display at Natural History Museum Vienna (Naturhistorisches Museum Wien) (August 2024).

Pterotrigonia thoracica Fossil

Pterotrigonia thoracica (Morton 1834) pelecypod is the official state fossil of Tennessee. It existed during the Cretaceous Period (about 70 million years ago - Maastrichtian). This fossil was found in Coon Creek, Tennessee USA. Fossil was on display at Natural History Museum Vienna (Naturhistorisches Museum Wien) (August 2024).

Chonostegites clappi Coral Fossil

 

Here are some pictures of what appears to be a Chonostegites clappi (Edwards & Haime, 1851) coral fossil. It was found in the Jeffersonville Limestone of Clark County, Indiana USA. The fossil dates to the Middle Devonian Period.

Species appears to have been named for Dr. Asahel Clapp (1792-1862) one of the first medical doctors in New Albany, Indiana and a frequent collector of fossils from the Falls of the Ohio area. The holotype for this species is supposed to reside in the École des Mines of Paris France.

 Thanks to Kenny for the images. 

 

Pleurojulus Millipede Fossil

This image is of a Pleurojulus sp (Fritsch, 1899) millipede fossil on display at Natural History Museum Vienna (Naturhistorisches Museum Wien) (August 2024). It dates to the Late Carboniferous Period. The fossil was found in Nýřany Czech Republic.

Ammonite Fossil at St. Stephen's Cathedral

 

 St. Stephen's Cathedral is located in Vienna, Austria. In 1137 the first Romanesque church was built at the site. The second Romanesque church was built 1200-1225. In 1433 the South Tower was completed and the North Tower finished by 1578. 

The floor has checkerboard pattern made up of red and white stone tiles. There is at least one red tile has an ammonite fossil in it. It appears to be about 7 cm wide. The images were taken in August 2024.

It appears in red floor tile of the church in back right corner. The limestone/marble tile could be Red Verona or Rosso Verona marble. This rock dates to the Upper Jurassic Period of the Rosso Ammonitico Formation, Oxfordian Stage, Verona Province, Venetia Region of Italy.

 

Melonechinus multipora Sea Urchin Fossil

This image is of a Melonechinus multipora (Norwood & Owen, 1846) sea urchin fossil on display at Natural History Museum Vienna (Naturhistorisches Museum Wien) (August 2024). It dates to the Carboniferous Period (about 340 million years ago). The fossil was found in St. Louis, Missouri, USA. 

Archaeocidaris Fossil from Texas

This image is of an Archaeocidaris sp (McCoy, 1844) sea urchin fossil on display at Natural History Museum Vienna (Naturhistorisches Museum Wien) (August 2024). It dates to the Late Carboniferous Period (about 290 million years ago). The fossil was found in Brown County Texas USA.

Psammodus? Fossil Tooth Plate

My cousin back from a recent field expedition found a large (5 cm) tooth-plate fossil. It appears to be a holocephalan known as Psammodus (Agassiz, 1834). The fossil dates to the Mississippian Period and was found in Grayson County, Kentucky USA.

 Thanks Kenny for the images.