Rhodophyte Algae Fossil

 

Here are some pictures of rhodophyte algae fossils. They were seen at Bailey's Point on the Barren River in Kentucky USA. The fossils were found in the Fort Payne Formation which dates to the Mississippian Period.

Thanks to Kenny for the pictures.

Receptaculites oweni Algae Fossil

This picture is of a Receptaculites oweni (Hall, 1861) algae colony fossil. It was found in Minnesota USA. It dates to the Middle Ordovician Period.

The picture was taken in June 2023 on the first floor of the Smithsonian Museum of Natural History in Washington D.C. USA.

Rhodophyte Algae Fossil

These fossils were recently found in Allen County Kentucky USA. They appears to be a rhodophyte algae fossil. These organisms existed in the Mississippian Period. They were found in the Fort Payne Formation.

Thanks to Kenny for the images.

 

Palaeonitella Green Alga Fossil

 

Here is a green alga fossil called Palaeonitella sp. (Kidston & Lang, 1921). It existed in the Devonian Period (417-354 million years ago). The fossil was found in Wyoming USA.

The fossil was on display in the Evolving Planet section of The Field Museum of Natural History in Chicago Illinois, USA as of August 2020. Accession number is PP49113.

Rhodophyte Algae Fossil

This fossil is Rhodophyte (red) algae. It was found in the siltstone facies of Salem Limestone of Hardin County Kentucky USA. The plant dates back to the Middle Mississippian Period.

Thanks to Alan for letting me photograph it.

Receptaculites subturbinatus Fossil Algae

These images appear to show fossilized discoidal dasycladacean alga called Receptaculites subturbinatus. It was found in the Waldron Shale of Bartholomew County, Indiana USA. The fossil dates to the Middle Silurian Period (Wenlockian).

See more examples at Falls of the Ohio State Park web site.

Lithothamnium Fossil

This picture shows a Lithothamnium calcareous algae fossil. It was found in Cagliari Sardinia Italy. The fossil dates to the Quaternary Period. Specimen can be seen at the Museo di Paleontologia at Sapienza University of Rome Italy.

Image taken June 2014.

Fisherites Chlorophytes Fossil

These pictures show a fossil of calcareous green algae (chlorophytes) from the Ordovician Period. They are called Fisherites sp. of the order Dasyclads and family Receptaculites. The fossil was found in the Galena Formation of Minnesota.   Second picture shows a cross section of the fossil.
Thanks to Herb for the images.

Archean Polished Butterstone

This rock was found in southern Africa's Greenstone Belt.  The color of the rock definitely matches the formation name.  What is special about this rock called butterstone dated to the geologic eon Archean.  Thus the material is thought to be over 2.5 billion years old.

Bacteria and algae appeared at this time in the water.  Volcanic activity produced increased atmospheric pressure and temperature.  The higher temperature caused serpentization of the sediments thus the green color. In between the layers the micro stromatolites (like algal mats).

This fossil is for sale on eBay: CLICK HERE and another is for sale (ending October 11, 2011): CLICK HERE

Paleoproterozoic Red Alga

Picture of an extremely old fossil of red alga.  This fossil is on display at the Smithsonian Museum of Natural History and is called Grypania spiralis.   As the placard lists this organism existing in the Late Paleoproterozoic Era and found in the Marquette Range, Michigan.

Check out this entry on the FossilPictures blog about a group of specimens that were auctioned.  It lists the species as being 2.2 billion years old.  The specimens are of the oldest multicellular organism (eukaryotic).  You can see from their selling prices in 2009 to be quite valuable.  They appear to have come from the Potomac Museum Group.

Fossils Seen At Fossil Festival

I was volunteering for the KYANA Geological Society on Saturday, September 19, 2009 at the Fossil Festival at the Falls of the Ohio State Park. The area next to ours was the Kentucky Paleontological Society of Lexington, Kentucky and their friendly members. One member had a case with a lot of very nice fossils in that he let me photograph. Here are some of those pictures.

This first picture is of an Archaeocrinus sp. crinoid from the Ordovician Period.


This next image is of a Climacograptus Graptolite found in the Clays Ferry Formation in Danville, Kentucky. It is from the Upper Ordovician Period.

These crinoid calyx are called Glyptocrinus. They existed in the Middle Ordovician Period. Found in the Lexington Limestone, Millersburg Member.

Here are some Glyptocrinus decadactylus crinoids from the Upper Ordovician Period. Notice on some of the calyx a Cyclonema gastropod attached. It is interesting that the snail remained attached but the arms broke away. I would think a traumatic event occurred that buried both the crinoid and the snail. The snail would instinctively detach from the crinoid and retreat into the safety of its shell. The crinoids were found in the Grant Lake Limestone of Maysville, Kentucky.

A Silurian Period cephalopod called Dawsonoceras found in the Upper Osgood Formation in Napoleon, Indiana. Some of the sinusoidal lines are still visible on the shell.

Here is a fossil of red algae shown in this polished crossection. It is from the Middle Ordovician Period. Found in the Lexington Limestone, Strodes Creek Member from Clark County, Kentucky.

Here is an almost intact Silurian Period Eucalyptocrinites crinoid found in Clark County, Indiana.

This might be an Eucalyptocrinites crinoid cup from the Silurian Period found in Clark County, Indiana. I forgot to photograph the label.