Dolatocrinus Crinod Column Section Fossil

 

This image shows a number of crinoid stem column sections identified as Dolatocrinus (Lyon, 1857)  from the Beechwood Limestone. The fossil dates to the Devonian Period. They were found in Clark County, Indiana USA by Barbara Conkin (1928-2019) who was a local professor of geology. 

Aulacophyllum conigerum Coral Fossil

 

This picture is of an Aulacophyllum conigerum (Davis, 1877) coral fossil. It was found in the Beechwood Limestone of Charlestown, Indiana USA. It dates to the Middle Devonian Period.

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 at least September 2024 after that it should 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 globosus Coral Fossil

 

This picture is of a Favosites globosus (Greene, 1898) coral fossil. The name it is now known is Emmonsia eximia (Davis, 1887). It was found in the Beechwood Limestone of Charlestown, Indiana USA. It dates to the Middle Devonian Period.

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 at least September 2024 after that it should 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.

Pleurodictym wardi Fossil Coral

Last year, I wrote about the life of a southern Indiana paleontologist George K. Greene (1835-1917). That research pointed to that Greene's fossil collection was sold to American Museum of Natural History in New York City but as it turns out there was one cabinet that was not sold and was past down to his descendants. 

This picture is of two coral specimens named Pleurodictym wardi (Greene, 1903) also called a "wasp nest coral". It was found in the Beechwood Limestone of Clark County, Indiana, USA and dates to middle Devonian Period. This coral species was named by Greene in his publications as Michelinia wardi. He wrote "name is honor of Prof. Henry A. Ward, the well known collector and Paleontologist of Rochester, New York". The publications named 166 new fossils but as turned out only 15 were valid.

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.

Thamnoptychia Branching Coral Fossil - The Fossil Fireplace

I originally was just going to highlight the branching coral fossil in the center of the picture but 3 other fossils are cemented in close proximity to it. The enrolled trilobite in the bottom left corner of the picture appears to be an Ordovician Period Flexicalymene sp. They tend to be found closer Cincinnati, Ohio USA.

The main coral appears to be a Thamnoptychia sp. It was probably found in the Jeffersonville Limestone of Clark County, Indiana, USA. The fossil in the top right corner is base of a floating crinoid. It was known as an Ancryocrinus sp. and were found in the Beechwood Limestone. These animals existed in the Middle Devonian Period.

The bottom of center picture has a blastoid fossil. It appears to be a Deltablastus sp. blastoid. They date to the Permian Period and are usually found in the Timor of southeast Asia.

These fossils are part of a very unique fireplace exist in a house in the city of Louisville Kentucky, USA. It was created by local geology professor from various fossil finds throughout his lifetime. I took a number of pictures of it and will blog about them in the near future.

Platyceras bucculentum Snail Fossils

These fossils appear to be a Platyceras bucculentum gastropods. They were found in the Beechwood Limestone of Clark County, Indiana, USA. The fossils date to the Devonian Period.

Thanks to Kenny for the image.

Thamnoptychia vermiculosa Branching Coral Fossil

This fossil appears to be a Thamnoptychia vermiculosa branching coral fossil. It was found in the Beechwood Limestone of Clark County, Indiana, USA. The fossil dates to the Devonian Period.

Thanks to Kenny for the image.

Double Devonian Coral Fossil

This image is of two coral fossils. One is growing upon another, they appear to be Aulocystis frutecticosa on Thamnoptychia vermiculosa. They were found in the Beechwood Limestone of Clark County Indiana, USA. These fossils date to the Devonian Period.

Thanks to Kenny for images.

Chiracanthus Fish Scale Fossil

This microfossil appears to be a Chiracanthus  sp. fish scale. The field of view (FOV) is about 2 mm. It dates to the Devonian Period. The fossil was found in the Beechwood Limestone of Clark County, Indiana USA.

Thanks to Kenny for the image.

Learn more about the Chiracanthus  at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cheiracanthus

Unidentified Devonian Scolecodont Fossil

This microfossil is an unidentified scolecodont. The field of view (FOV) is about 3 mm. It dates to the Devonian Period. The fossil was found in the Beechwood Limestone of Clark County, Indiana USA.

Thanks to Kenny for the image.

Icriodus Conodont Fossil

This microfossil appears to be an Icriodus sp. conodont. The field of view (FOV) is about 1 mm. It dates to the Devonian Period. The fossil was found in the Beechwood Limestone of Clark County, Indiana USA.

Thanks to Kenny for the image.

Holmesella Fish Tooth Fossil

This microfossil appears to be a Holmesella sp. fish tooth. The field of view (FOV) is about 1 mm. It was found in the Beechwood Limestone and thus dates to the Devonian Period. The fossil was found in Clark County, Indiana USA.

Thanks to Kenny for the image.

Gennaeocrinus Crinoid Calyx Fossil

Here is a picture of a rare crinoid calyx fossil embedded in matrix. It appears to be a Gennaeocrinus kentuckiensis (Shumard, 1866). The specimen was found in the Beechwood Limestone of Clark County, Indiana, USA. This fossil dates to the Middle Devonian Period (Givetian).

Genus was named by Wachsmuth and Springer in 1881.

Thanks to Kenny for showing me the fossil.

Eridophyllum archiaci Coral Fossil

This fossil appears to be an Eridophyllum archiaci coral. It was found in Clark County, Indiana USA (Beechwood Formation). It dates to the Middle Devonian Period.

Thanks to Kenny for letting me take pictures of it.

Icriodus expansus? Conodont Fossil

Here is a freshly discovered conodont fossil found in the Beechwood Limestone of Clark County, Indiana. It is Middle Devonian Period in age. It appears to be an Icriodus expansus? conodont fossil.

Thanks to Kenny for the picture.

Devonian Hindia Sponge Fossil

This sponge fossil appears to be a Devonian period Hindia sphaeroidalis. This fossil as found in the Nelson County, Kentucky and is from the Beechwood Limestone.

Thanks to Kenny for the picture.

Icriodus Conodont Fossil

This fossil appears to be an Icriodus angustus? conodont found in either the upper Devonian New Albany Shale or Middle Devonian Beechwood Limestone of Clark County, Indiana.

Conodonts have been found in the southern Indiana for a while. In 1938, a new species found at the Falls of the Ohio was named Icriodus latericrescens by E.G. Branson and M.G. Mehl

While doing some conodont research, I came across an article about a researcher at the University of Houston named Glen Merrill.  Dr. Merrill is a professor of Natural Sciences and has been publishing papers for over 50 years. His laboratory has collection approximately 750,000 conodonts. The article states that "Each conodont animal had seven kinds of elements that were surrounded by soft tissues and grew layer on layer."

Another item gleaned from the article is that the fossils change color when exposed to heat. From amber they go to brown, grey or black and eventually opaque and then vaporize. Oil companies became interested in this property as they found gas/oil in layers that had been heated and these fossils could be studied as thermal markers.

Read this informative article entitled UHD's Award Winning Faculty Series: Meet Glen Merrill from June 23, 2011 at the University of Houston Downtown web site: http://uhdnews.uhd.edu/news/stories.aspx?articleid=245&zoneid=1

Ozarkodina Conodont Fossil

These fossils appear to be Ozarkodina willsi? conodonts found in either the upper Devonian New Albany Shale or middle Devonian Beechwood Limestone of Clark County, Indiana.

See the conodont.info web site to see Ozarkodina polita specimens: CLICK HERE and Ozarkodina tenuis specimens: CLICK HERE