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 of places to visit. Please check out this 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.

 

 

Bryozoan on Crinoid Fossil

This fossil is a bryozoan anchored on to a crinoid column. It was found in the Glen Dean formation of Grayson County, Kentucky USA. The fossil dates to the Mississippian Period. Thanks to Kenny for the images.

Cladochonus beecheri Coral Fossil on Crinoid

These pictures are of what appears to be a Cladochonus beecheri (Grabau, 1899 aka Monilopora) coral fossil that had grown on a crinoid column. Fossil found in the New Providence Formation of Clark County, Indiana USA. It dates to the Mississippian Period. Thanks to Kenny for the images.

Bicidiocrinus wetherbyi Crinoid Calyx Fossil

This fossil appears to be a Bicidiocrinus wetherbyi (Wachsmuth and Springer, 1886). It was found in the Glen Dean formation of Grayson County, Kentucky USA. The fossil dates to the Mississippian Period. Thanks to Kenny for the images.

 

Petalodus Shark Tooth Fossil

These pictures show a Petalodus (Hall, 1858) shark tooth fossil. They were found in the Glen Dean Formation of Grayson County, Kentucky USA. The fossils date to the Mississippian Period. Thanks to Kenny for the images.

Worm Tube Fossil

These pictures are of a worm tube fossil. Fossil found in the New Providence Formation of Clark County, Indiana USA. It dates to the Mississippian Period. Thanks to Kenny for the images.

 

Ptiograptus percorrugatus Graptolite Fossil

 

These pictures are of what appears to be Ptiograptus percorrugatus (Ruedemann, 1908) graptolite fossil. It was found in the Jeffersonville Limestone of Jefferson County Kentucky, USA. It existed in the Devonian Period.

This fossil was first posted on this blog in 2011 where I mis-identified which layer it was in thus the wrong time period. Recently, I located the box this fossil was stored in and my cousin Kenny re-imaged it. New details emerged when he started taking negative images of the fossil revealing small pores in it. See images below.

 

 

 

Starfish Fossil from Texas

 

Here is a picture of a recently found fossil that appears to be part of starfish . The fossil widest length is approximately 5 mm. It was in the Del Rio Formation at Shoal Creek, Texas USA. This creature existed during the Cretaceous Period. 

Thanks to Kenny for the image.

Nodosaria Foraminifera Fossil

 

Here is a picture of a recently found fossil that appears to be a Nodosaria (Lamarck, 1816) foraminifera. The fossil widest length is approximately 3 mm. It was in the Del Rio Formation at Shoal Creek, Texas USA. This creature existed during the Cretaceous Period. 

Thanks to Kenny for the image.

Anomalina Foraminifera Fossil

 

Here is a picture of a recently found fossil that appears to be an Anomalina (d'Orbigny, 1826) foraminifera. The fossil widest length is approximately 280 microns. It was in the Del Rio Formation at Travis County, Texas USA. This creature existed during the Cretaceous Period. 

Thanks to Kenny for the image.

Globigerina Foraminifera Fossil - Texas

 

Here is a picture of a recently found fossil that appears to be a Globigerina (d'Orbigny, 1826) foraminifera. The fossil widest length is approximately 280 microns. It was at Del Rio Shoal Creek, Texas USA. This creature existed during the Cretaceous Period. 

Thanks to Kenny for the image.

Yogoniscus gulo Fossil

This image is of a Yogoniscus gulo (Lowney, 1980) fish fossil. The animal existed in the Serpukhovian Stage Carboniferous Period (326-318 million years ago). Fossil was discovered in Bear Gulch, Montana, USA. Fossil was on display at the Natural History Museum Vienna (Naturhistorisches Museum Wien) on August 2024.

Yogoniscus gulo Fish Fossil

This image is of a Yogoniscus gulo (Lowney, 1980) fish fossil. The animal existed in the Serpukhovian Stage Carboniferous Period (326-318 million years ago). Fossil was discovered in Bear Gulch, Montana, USA. Fossil was on display at the Natural History Museum Vienna (Naturhistorisches Museum Wien) on August 2024.

Caridosuctor populosum Coelacanth Fossil

This image is of a Caridosuctor populosum (Lund & Lund, 1984) coelacanth fossil. The animal existed in the Serpukhovian Stage Carboniferous Period (326-318 million years ago). Fossil was discovered in Bear Gulch, Montana, USA. Fossil was on display at the Natural History Museum Vienna (Naturhistorisches Museum Wien) on August 2024.

Harpagofututor volsellorhinus Fish Fossil

This image is of a Harpagofututor volsellorhinus (Lund, 1982) eel like fish fossil. The animal existed in the Carboniferous Period. Fossil was discovered in Bear Gulch, Montana, USA. Fossil was on display at the Natural History Museum Vienna (Naturhistorisches Museum Wien) on August 2024.

Acanthodes bronni Spiny Fish Fossil

This image is of an Acanthodes bronni (Agassiz, 1833) spiny fish fossil. The animal existed in the Permian Period. Fossil was discovered in Niederkirchen, Germany. Fossil was on display at the Natural History Museum Vienna (Naturhistorisches Museum Wien) on August 2024.

Illymatogyra arietina Oyster Fossil

Here are some pictures of some recently found oyster fossils. They appear to be an Illymatogyra arietina (Roemer). The fossil was found in the Georgetown Formation of Austin Texas USA. Oysters like these lived in the Cretaceous Period. Thanks to Kenny for the images.

Heteroptera True Bug Fossil

This image is of a Heteroptera  (Latreille, 1810) leaf bug fossil. The insect existed in the early Cretaceous Period. Fossil was discovered in Liaoning, China. Fossil was on display at the Natural History Museum Vienna (Naturhistorisches Museum Wien) on August 2024.

Heteroptera Leaf Bug Fossil

This image is of a Heteroptera  (Latreille, 1810) true bug fossil. The insect existed in the early Cretaceous Period. Fossil was discovered in Liaoning, China. Fossil was on display at the Natural History Museum Vienna (Naturhistorisches Museum Wien) on August 2024.

Ephemeropsis trisetalis Mayfly Larva Fossil

This image is of an Ephemeropsis trisetalis (Eichwald, 1864) mayfly larva fossil. The animal existed in the early Cretaceous Period. Fossil was discovered in Liaoning, China. Fossil was on display at the Natural History Museum Vienna (Naturhistorisches Museum Wien) on August 2024.

Coral Fossil Serving Bowl

This picture of a unique fossil specimen. A colonial coral fossil was shaped in a serving bowl. It might be from the Alps. Fossil was on display at the Natural History Museum Vienna (Naturhistorisches Museum Wien) on August 2024.