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. 

 

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.

 

 

 

Dolatocrinus stellifer Crinoid Fossil

 

This fragment of a crinoid calyx fossil pictured above is known as Dolatocrinus stellifer (Miller & Gurley, 1894). It was found in the Jeffersonville Limestone of the Falls of the Ohio, Clark County, Indiana USA. The fossil dates to the Devonian Period. 

See a fossil of this species in 3-D at the University of Michigan web site: https://umorf.ummp.lsa.umich.edu/wp/specimen-data/?Model_ID=1459

This crinoid fossil was once part of the collection of southern Indiana paleontologist George K. Greene (1835-1917). It appeared that all of Greene's fossil collection was sold to American Museum of Natural History in New York City after his death but as it turns out there was one cabinet not sold and was past down to his descendants. 

This fossil is now on display at the Falls of the Ohio State Park Interpretive Center till September 2024 after that it will be transferred to the Indiana State Museum. George Greene's great-great-grandson William "Bill" Bishop passed away on November 29, 2023 and his wish that fossils be donated.

Favosites emmonsi Coral Fossil

This "honeycomb" coral fossil pictured above is known as Favosites (Emmonsia) emmonsi (Hall, 1876). It was found in the Jeffersonville Limestone of the Falls of the Ohio, Clark County, Indiana USA. The fossil dates to the Devonian Period. Included in this picture is George Greene's original display label.

This coral fossil was once part of the collection of southern Indiana paleontologist George K. Greene (1835-1917). It appeared that all of Greene's fossil collection was sold to American Museum of Natural History in New York City after his death but as it turns out there was one cabinet not sold and was past down to his descendants. 

This fossil is now on display at the Falls of the Ohio State Park Interpretive Center till September 2024 after that it will be transferred to the Indiana State Museum. George Greene's great-great-grandson William "Bill" Bishop passed away on November 29, 2023 and his wish that fossils be donated.

Turbinopsis shumardi Gastropod Fossil

Here are some pictures of a snail fossil known as Turbinopsis shumardi (de Verneuil). It was found in the Jeffersonville Limestone of Falls of the Ohio, Indiana USA. The fossils date to the Devonian Period. It was once part of the collection of southern Indiana paleontologist George K. Greene (1835-1917). It appeared that all of Greene's fossil collection was sold to American Museum of Natural History in New York City after his death but as it turns out there was one cabinet that was not sold and was past down to his descendants. 

The fossil species was named after Dr. Benjamin Franklin Shumard (1820-1869) a Louisville educated medical doctor who also collected and studied fossils.

This fossil is now on display at the Falls of the Ohio State Park Interpretive Center till September 2024 after that it will be transferred to the Indiana State Museum. George Greene's great-great-grandson William "Bill" Bishop passed away on November 29, 2023 and his wish that fossils be donated.

Fragment of a Platyceras dumosum

This fossil fragment is of a Platyceras dumosum (Conrad, 1840) spiny snail (gastropod). It was found in Clark County, Indiana USA.  The layer it was found is called the Jeffersonville Limestone which dates to the Middle Devonian Period. My nephews Joseph and Jack found this while we were out collecting.

 

Cactocrinus? Crinoid Fossil Stem

It is usually difficult to identify fossil crinoid stem pieces. So this fossil was recently found in the Jeffersonville Limestone Clark County Indiana USA. It dates to the Middle Devonian Period. The stem has some unique features so it seemed like a good candidate for trying to find its name. After some research, this fossil might be a Cactocrinus. A problem emerges in that that genus existed in the Mississippian Period and this fossil was found in much older rock.

Elaecrinus verneuili Blastoid Fossil

Here is a picture taken in 2009 at Coopers Lane Quarry in Clark County Indiana USA. It appears to be an Elaecrinus verneuili (Römer [aka Roemer], 1851) blastoid fossil embedded in limestone floor of the quarry. Stem segments of crinoids and blastoids are fossilized around it along with a Fenestella bryozoan netting fossil. All of this would be broken up by the quarry later but got an image of it before that happened. This layer might be the Jeffersonville Limestone and dates back to the Devonian Period.

 Panoramic view of the quarry at the time.

 

A Nettelroth Fossil Displayed at the Smithsonian

 

This picture was taken in June 2023 while visiting Washington D.C.'s Smithsonian Museum of Natural History. It is the Platyceras dumosum (Conrad, 1840) snail fossil found by Henry Nettelroth (1835-1887)  probably in the 1870s in Clark County, Indiana or Jefferson County, Kentucky. This gastropod existed in the Devonian Period and Jeffersonville Limestone. Nettelroth documented the specimens his book Kentucky Fossil Shells published in 1889. I am not sure which fossil on the plate is the one in the picture above. The curator at the Smithsonian said that spines had broken off while in storage over the last 110 years. The institution acquired the collection in 1907.

 

You can read my past experiences with the Smithsonian staff and their help in getting the specimens of USNM PAL 51268 imaged. So I was surprised on my visit to the museum earlier this week and saw on the specimens in a display case in the exhibit labeled PLAYING THE NUMBERS. They had it labeled as sea snail 1 Spinyplatyceras dumosum lived 391-389 million years ago and found in the Columbus Limestone of Clark County, Indiana.

From my personal perspective I was happy to see one of Louisville's fossils being displayed in the main fossil hall at the museum. Hopefully, if Henry Nettelroth were alive today he would be too.

Megastrophia concava Brachiopod Fossil

This fossil appears to be a Megastrophia concava (Hall, 1857) brachiopod. The surface has some line patterns that might be from some sort of bryozoan like Hederella. Fossil was found middle Devonian period Jeffersonville Limestone of Clark County, Indiana USA.

Phacops rana Trilobite Fossil Pygidium

 

Recently, I was looking for a trilobite in the Jeffersonville Limestone of Clark County, Indiana USA. I did not find one, at a mostly intact one that is. The best I could do was find this fragment of limestone with part of what is probably a Phacops rana (Green, 1832) fossilized pygidium. Also seen in this piece of limestone is an unidentified bryozoan fossil. These fossils date to the middle Devonian Period.

Elaeacrinus verneuili Blastoid Fossil

These pictures show what appears to be an Elaeacrinus verneuili (Römer [aka Roemer], 1851) blastoid fossil. This specimen is partially embedded in matrix and measures about 15 mm long. I use to think Devonian blastoids like this were rare but after exploring a site after an hour or so one usually is found.

It was found in the Jeffersonville Limestone of Clark County, Indiana USA. It dates to the Devonian Period.

This species is also attributed to Gerard Troost (1776-1850) who identified it as Pentremites verneuili in 1841 in the 6th Report Geological State Tennessee on page 14. He later published two more mentions in 1849 and 1850 as Olivanites verneuili and Olivanites verneuili.[Source]

Spiny Platyceras dumosum Snail Fossil

 

This fossil appears to be a Platyceras dumosum (Conrad, 1840) spiny snail (gastropod). It was found in 2020 in Clark County, Indiana USA. The layer it was found is called the Jeffersonville Limestone which dates to the Middle Devonian Period.

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 Kenny for the picture.

Bembexia Snail Fossil

These fossils appear to be Bembexia sulcomarginata? (Conrad 1842) gastropods. They were found in the Jeffersonville Limestone of Clark County, Indiana USA. The fossils date to the Middle Devonian Period.

Pleurodictyum maximum Coral Fossil

Fossil appears to be a Pleurodictyum maximum coral. It is credited to Gerard Troost in the 1840 5th Annual Report on the Geology of Tennessee (pp.45-75). He named it Calamopora maxima and that specimen has been lost. This fossil was found in the Jeffersonville Limestone of Clark County, Indiana USA. The fossil dates to the Devonian Period.

Siphonophrentis elongata Horn Coral Fossil

This fossil is a horn coral called Siphonophrentis elongata (Rafenesque & Clifford, 1820). It was found in the Jeffersonville Limestone of Jefferson County Kentucky USA. The creature lived in the Middle Devonian Period. This species of horn coral was one of the largest that ever existed. Since it is, the fossil is pretty easy to identify when it is found. They are hard to find fully intact though. The maximum length can get to 60-80 cm and its largest diameter 8-10 cm.

This fossil was first described as Turbinolia buceros var. elongata by C.S. Rafinesque and J.D. Clifford in the 1820 article, Prodrome d' une monographie des Turbinolies fossils du Kentucky (dans l' Amerique Septentrionale) found in Annales Generales des Scinces Physiques [Bruxelles] Tome V, pages 231-235. The fossil was renamed by Erwin C. Stumm in the 1949 paper Revision of the families and genera of the Devonian tetracorals in Geological Society of America Memoir 40, 92 p., 25 Pls.

Below is a digitally altered image of Rafinesque taken from the book The Life and Writings of Rafinesque by Richard Ellsworth Call, Filson Club Publications No. 19, Louisville Kentucky printed by John P. Morton and Company 1895. The image was from a painting by Jouett in the Wisconsin Historical Society collection courtesy of Honorable R. G. Thwaites, the Secretary. The portrait painter Matthew Harris Jouett (1788-1827) was born and died in Kentucky.

This fossil has a special significance in relation to the Commonwealth of Kentucky. It was first described by one of Kentucky's first scientist/naturalist Constantine Samuel Rafinesque (1783-1840). He was born and self-educated in Europe. Between 1819-1826 he taught at Transylvania University in Lexington, Kentucky. While there, he published a number of works with a local merchant John D. Clifford (1778-1820). Using the book about Rafinesque mentioned above as source, Clifford was responsible for Rafinesque teaching in Kentucky and if he had not died suddenly would have more than likely continued to co-author more works on natural science.

Their 1820 article was the first to describe some of the coral fossils from the Falls of the Ohio in which they described over 34 species. The descriptions are incomplete and without illustrations though. None of their types were located by Erwin C. Stumm in the 1964 definitive work on Louisville area corals entitled Silurian and Devonian Corals of the Falls of the Ohio published in The Geological Society of American Memoir 93 page 5. He did note that the coral fossil now known as Siphonophrentis elongata was referred by them as "petrified Buffalo horns" and was also named by the French naturalist Charles-Alexandre Lesueur as Zaphrentis gigantea.

The genus Siphonophrentis was named by Majorie O'Connell in the Revision of the Genus Zaphrentis in Annuals of New York Academy Science Volume XXIII. pp. 177-192, February 25, 1914. [LINK]

Elaeacrinus verneuili Blastoid Fossil

Pictures are of an Elaeacrinus verneuili (Römer [aka Roemer], 1851) blastoid fossil. It was found in the Jeffersonville Limestone Clark County, Indiana USA. The fossil dates to the Devonian Period. This fossil was part of the Dr. James Conkin (1924-2017) collection.

Dolatocrinus Crinoid Calyx Fossil

Here is fresh find in what appears to be a Dolatocrinus crinoid calyx fossil. It was found in the Jeffersonville Limestone of Jefferson County, Kentucky, USA. Fossil dates to the Middle Devonian Period.

Thanks to Kenny for the image.

Striatopora Coral Fossil

This fossil appears to be a Striatopora bellistriata (Greene) coral. It was found in the Jeffersonville Limestone in Clark County, Indiana USA. The fossil existed the Middle Devonian Period.

Once it was ultrasonic cleaned, the white fossil seemed to sparkle quite a bit.