Productid Brachiopod Fossil

 

This brachiopod Productid was part of the James Conkin collection. It was found in Larue County, Kentucky, USA in the St. Louis Formation. 

The label might not be quite right as it looks like something that might be from the New Albany Shale. 

 

 

Meristella maria Brachiopod Fossil

Imprint remains of fossilized brachiopod called Meristella maria (Hall, 1863). James Hall renamed the genus Meristina (Hall, 1867). These animals lived in the Middle Silurian Period.  Fossils found in the Osgood Shale of  Napoleon, Indiana USA.

 

Productella spinulicosta Brachiopod Fossil

This plate contains a number of spiny brachiopods that appear to be Productella spinulicosta (Hall, 1867) in the Jeffersonville Limestone. The fossil dates to the Devonian Period. It was found at Coopers Lane Quarry Clark County, Indiana USA by Barbara Conkin (1928-2019) who was a local professor of geology.

 

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.

 

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.

 

Richthofenia permiana Brachiopod Fossil

 

This image is of a Richthofenia permiana brachiopod fossil. The animal existed in the Permian Period. Fossil was discovered in Texas, USA. Fossil was on display at the Natural History Museum Vienna (Naturhistorisches Museum Wien) on August 2024.

This fossil is very strange, just looking at it I would identify it as a horn coral but it is a brachiopod. The label in the museum listed it as "tütenförmiger Armfüßer" which translates to bag-shaped brachiopod.  Learn more about this fossil at the blog  Equatorial Minnesota and its relation to Benjamin Franklin Shumard (1820-1869) at medical doctor from Louisville who switched to paleontology. This fossil might be under the genus Prorichthofenia now.

https://equatorialminnesota.blogspot.com/2018/03/prorichthofenia-brachiopod-horn-corals.html

Alpena Michigan Microfossils

 

My cousin screened through a lot of micro material I brought back from Alpena Michigan USA in October 2021. It was found in the Potter Farm Formation and dates to Middle Devonian Period (Erian Age). 

The brachiopod fossil in boxes 110 & 117, 76-77, and another in 109 appear to be a Strophondonta crassa (Imbrie, 1959).

Rectangles 107, 108, and 115 appear to be Aulopora coral fossils with some that had grown on a branching bryozoan.

Cornulites appear to be in boxes 60 and 61.

A blastoid in cells 62, 63 & 66 could be Heteroschisma subtruncatum.

Cell 22 is a fish tooth fossil.

Fossil in rectangle 69 is some sort of bone fossil.

Thanks to Kenny for image and preparing all those fossils. Very nice work!

Productella spinulicosta Brachiopod Fossil

 

Here are some illustrations of the brachiopod fossil Productella spinulicosta (Hall, 1867). The fossil was found in the Marcellus and Hamilton beds at Erie County, New York, USA. The fossil dates to the Devonian Period. They were published in Amadeus Grabau's (1870-1946) book Geology and Palaeontology of Eighteen Mile Creek and the Lake Shore Sections of Erie County, New York from 1899.  The images are from pages 205, figures 112 & 112A.  

 

Orthothetes subplanus Brachiopod Illustration

 

Here are some illustrations of the brachiopod fossil Orthothetes subplanus (Conrad). The fossil was found in the Clinton beds at Niagara Falls, New York, USA. The fossil dates to the Silurian Period. This fossil is also found in the Rochester Shale. They were published in Amadeus Grabau's (1870-1946) book Geology and Palaeontology of Eighteen Mile Creek and the Lake Shore Sections of Erie County, New York from 1899.  The images are from page 184, figure 91.

Agassizocrinus? Crinoid Fossil

 

In 2012, I posted a crinoid calyx fossil which was identified as a Phanocrinus nitidus. Recently, I revisited this fossil and took some new pictures of what might be an Agassizocrinus. The matrix it is in also contains a very nice Archimedes bryozoan and an unknown brachiopod. The specimen was found in southern Indiana, USA and dates to Mississippian Period. The crinoid is about 3 cm in length.

Fossils At Kentucky Rest Stop

 

A few weekends ago, we stopped at a Huck's Market (675 Western Kentucky Parkway, Beaver Dam, Kentucky) at on our way to a wedding in western Kentucky. While out stretching my legs, I examined a few boulders near the gas station/rest stop and found some fossils. The boulder located in the grass next to the parking lot near fuel pumps contained mostly crinoid stem and some brachiopods fossils. I am guessing they date to the Mississippian Period.

Unknown Spiny Brachiopod in Black Shale

This fossil is quite interesting. It appears to a brachiopod with very long spines. The fossil is from the collection of the late Dr. James Conkin (1924-2017) and had no label with it. The fossil is in a black shale and the only shale found around the Louisville area is the New Albany shale. Fossils are rare in that shale and usually very small and not white colored. 

The brachiopod could be some sort of Productoid where the genus could be Pulchratia or Linoproductus. See University of Nebraska-Lincoln brachiopods of the Grant Shale web page. The Fossils of Parks Township web site shows a brachiopod called Antiquatonia portlockiana (Brew & Beus, 1976) and originally named Producti portlockianus (1855).

If anyone has suggestions of what this might be named or the locality it is from, please let me know. Thanks!

Pseudolingula Brachiopod Fossil

This brachiopod fossil appears to be a Pseudolingula from the Ordovician Period. It was found in the Logana Member of the Lexington Limestone for Franklin County, Kentucky, USA. Thanks to Kenny for the picture.

Brevispirifer gregarius Brachiopod Fossil

 

This brachiopod fossil appears to be the Brevispirifer gregarius (Clapp, 1857). It was found in the Jeffersonville Limestone which dates to the Middle Devonian Period. The fossil was probably found around Louisville, Jefferson County, Kentucky. It was from the collection of Dr. James Conkin (1924-2017) with no label. The species name attributed to Dr. Asahel Clapp (1792-1862).

Syringothyrus texta Brachiopod Fossil

These pictures are of what appears to be a Syringothyrus texta (Hall, 1857) brachiopod fossil. On the hinge line and where the shells come together shows imprints of a Conularia fossil. It was found in the Carwood Formation of Floyd County, Indiana, USA. The fossil dates to the Mississippian Period. Thanks to Kenny for the images.

28th Annual Digging the Past Event

 

Yesterday I volunteered at the Falls of the Ohio State Park (Clarksville, Indiana USA) where I spent about 5 hours setting up, identifying and digging up Silurian fossils for visitors to the park. Most of my time was at the Waldron Shale piles containing Silurian period fossils. The main building was closed due to the air conditioning system being replaced. It has been hot this last week and as a result there was a very light turn out, maybe the fewest number of people I have seen since I started volunteering at this annual event.

The heavy rain the night before revealed a number of fossils on the surface but it was extremely muddy and I almost lost my shoe several times getting stuck in the mud. After splitting some of the shale rocks, I found several Eucalyptocrinites crinoid cups and a holdfast, and brachiopods which I gave away to visitors. One visitor found two trilobite pygidium imprints of a Dalamites and Arctinerus.

 

These next images show Fardenia brachiopod fossil imprints.

All in all a somewhat nice day. It was in the 80s F in the morning and was getting hotter by noon. Working in the shale piles was muddy. I did not get to check out how the mineral piles or Devonian period fossil piles were going. The Devonian one was very mucky and wet.

Carl Brett Fossil Videos

Today's entry is to highlight a number of fossil YouTube videos featuring the University of Cincinnati geology professor Dr. Carlton Brett. These videos were created by Paleontological Research Institution (PRI) of Ithaca, New York, USA. This first video focuses on Devonian Period bivalves from central New York and in particular Actinopteria and Plethomytilus.

  

The 2nd video covers Devonian Period brachiopod fossils with a focus on Spinocyrtia and Tullypothyridina.

  

Dr. Brett continues his fossil exploration of a central New York site highlighting Devonian Period bryozoan fossils like the Leptotrypella.

 The fourth video covers Devonian Period trilobite fossils like the Phacops (Eldredgeops) rana.

  

The fifth video covers the rugose (horn) corals like the Heliophyllum halli.

 This last video shows tabulate coral finds like Favosites.

   

 

Modern Brachiopod Dallinella occidentalis

This picture is of a Dallinella occidentalis (Dall, 1871) modern brachiopod. It was found in Minnesota USA. I cannot find this specimen in their database. USNM PAL 95850 listed as Terebratalia occidentalis (Dall, 1871) is there as a holotype though.

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

 This brachiopod looks very similar to the Terebratalia transversa (Sowerby, 1846) that I posted about in September 2009.

https://louisvillefossils.blogspot.com/2009/09/modern-day-brachiopod-lacqueas.html

George Greene - New Albany Indiana Paleontologist

Photoshop enhanced and colored from copy of photograph in Miss Emma Carleton scrapbook no. 1, page 11. Date unknown but probably early 1900s. Original plate should be at the New Albany-Floyd County Public Library archives

Early Life

George Kennard Greene was born November 18, 1833 in Columbus, Indiana to Captain George Greene (1802-1877) and Eunice R. Parker Greene (1808-1893).  His parents lived in Hancock County, Kentucky and George K. went to public schools there. He was also tutored in Latin and science privately. As a boy, his family was visited by the German paleontologist and showman/entrepreneur Albert C. Koch (1804-1867) who was collecting fossil specimens for a French college. Probably around 1847, he joined Mr. Koch on his geological journeys where he learned more about becoming a geologist and fossil dealer. 

Koch was famous for finding the Missouri Leviathan (a mis-assembled mastodon) that he excavated in 1840 and later sold to the Museum of Natural History in London England for $2,000 plus a $1,000 a year for as long as he was alive. Read its interesting story at the museum web site. Later in 1845, he found a whale like creature now known as a Basilosaurus in Alabama. The specimen was sold to a museum in Prussia in 1848. Whether George Greene helped him with this last sale, it is not documented.

Greene moved to Hardinsburg, Kentucky and married Mary "Mollie" Jane Lewis in 1859. They had 8 children including Newton A. "Gus" Greene (1866-1938), who would later become mayor of New Albany. The other children were William Alexander Greene (1860-1942), Eunice M. Greene (1864-1933), George C. Greene (1868-1882), Daisy Boyd Greene (1871-1948), Sidney S. Greene (1873-1875), Alma Belle Greene (1876-1958), and Robert Greene (1881-1887).

The 1860 U.S. Census lists him in Hawesville, Kentucky with his wife and son William. His occupation is listed as deputy sheriff and worth at $600. He enlisted in the Confederate army Company H, 10th (Colonel A. R. Johnson) Regiment Kentucky Cavalry on November 15, 1862. He was captured in Louisville on September 1, 1863 and shipped to Camp Douglas, Illinois prisoner of war camp. On February, 24, 1865 he was exchanged at Point Lookout, Maryland and swore is oath of alligence to the United States on May 12, 1865.

In 1870, they moved to Jeffersonville, Indiana to be closer to the Falls of the Ohio and it's fossil beds where he collected his specimens to sell. He made another move in 1878 to New Albany where he setup his fossil shop. Indiana University employed him to arrange Dr. Dale Owen's (1807-1860) fossil collection. Afterwards, he worked for five years as Assistant State Geologist and made several state geological surveys. His wife died in 1882. In 1885, he became one of the founding members of the Indiana Academy of Sciences. 

 Scientific Work

In 1886, he financially sponsored and provided the Falls of the Ohio fossil specimens for E.O. Ulrich (1857-1944) to publish Contributions to American Palaeontology. In it Ulrich names a brachiopod Rhynchonella greeniana (Ulrich, 1886) after Greene. Ulrich makes a misstep in naming a new foraminifera genus Moellerina and species M. greenei as it later turns out the fossil is a plant charophyte. The name is still used though and the type specimen is at the Smithsonian catalog number P42079. Elizabeth McGowan married him on May 28, 1894. 

Rhynchonella greeniana  (Ulrich,1886) brachiopod fossil named in honor of George Greene

 

Moellerina greenei (Ulrich, 1886) charophyte algae fossil named for George K. Greene

Image courtesy of the Smithsonian Institution Specimen Catalog Number:  USNM P 42079 Specimen GUID:  http://n2t.net/ark:/65665/m37c47d760-07e4-435e-8f46-fd2194d87b1a Photographer Curt Breckenridge. Specimens housed in the collections of the Department of Paleobiology, National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution. Holotype of Moellerina greenei (Ulrich, 1886) named for George K. Greene who found in Devonian Period layer of Jeffersonville Limestone at Falls of the Ohio Clark County, Indiana, USA

From February 1898 till September 1904 he published Contribution to Indiana Palaeontology Volume I Part I to XX. University of Michigan paleontologist and coral fossil expert Erwin C. Stumm noted in 1964 that Greene "described 164 species of rugose and tabulate corals"... from the Falls of the Ohio but many were already described previously. Non-coral fossils were described by R. R. Rowley (1854-1935) of Louisiana, Missouri. Having another researcher allowed him to publish new fossil names where the species was named after him. Specifically a horn coral Blothrophyllum greenei (Rowley, 1904), a crinoid Dolatocrinus greenei (Rowley, 1904), and a blastoid Nucleocrinus greenei (Rowley, 1904).

Dolatocrinus greenei (Rowley, 1904?) Crinoid Calyx Fossil

Nucleocrinus greenei (Rowley, 1904?) Blastoid Fossil

 

His second wife died in 1910. Below is his business card of the different types of historical items he dealt with.

On September 17, 1911, The Courier-Journal published an almost full page article about George Greene entitled "Fossils Found Revert to Age When Louisville Was At the Equator". He reveals that he has sold fossils to American Museum of Natural History, British Museum of Natural History, Museum of Comparative Zoology at Harvard, Boston Society of Natural History, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and Borden Institute of Indiana. He considered some of his best finds a 150 pound coral found in the mud of Silver Creek which he sold to William Borden for $50 and an over 100 arm crinoid calyx he sold him for $100. "This specimen is considered the finest ever found, both for beauty and size. It was five and one-half inches high and three inches in diameter. It had 152 arms."

He told the journalist that he was content living as a recluse in his two room home next door to his son, the mayor. "Despite his 76 years, he is hale and hearty. He eats only the simplest foods, prepared by his own hands. He does not drink, chew or smoke, and never was seriously sick in his life."

Photoshop enhanced and colored from copy of photograph in Miss Emma Carleton scrapbook no. 1, page 11. Date unknown but probably early 1900s. Original plate should be at the New Albany-Floyd County Public Library archives

Death

In September of 1916, Greene was admitted into the Southeastern Hospital for the Insane (aka "Cragmont" now known as Madison State Hospital). George Greene died of a cerebral embolism at approximately 1 A.M. on August 19, 1917.  The Indiana State Board of Health Certificate of Death 25540 listed his occupation as geologist. He was buried at Fairview Cemetery in New Albany, Indiana.

 Legacy

His son, Newton sold his father's collection consisting of 1500 boxes, 100 cabinet drawers, 3 show cases, 5 bins, 65 cigar boxes, 1 trunk of Indian relics, 3 cabinets and 20 bushels of fine specimens for $5,500 to the American Museum of Natural History (AMNH) in New York City. When Dr. C.A. Reed, Assistant Curator at AMNH shipped it off to the New York, it weighed 23,000 lbs. and estimated to consist of 400,000+ specimens. They never curated it except for the type specimens. Dr. Reed also bought the William J. McConathy (1841-1918) collection for $2,300 consisting of 7,000+ coral specimens that were shipped with the Greene collection.  In 1960, the Greene collection was donated to the U.S. National Museum. As of this writing in 2023, their database shows 23 specimens with the species name of greenei.

The Sources:

Greene Family file, Indiana Room, New Albany-Floyd County Public Library, 180 West Spring Street, New Albany, Indiana 47150

In the early 1980s, Dr. N. Gary Lane (1930-2006) in the Department of Geology at Indiana University of Bloomington started research Professor George K. Greene. He published his article in the Proceedings of the Indiana Academy of Science Volume 97 (1987) entitled "George K. Greene: An Early Indiana Fossil Collector".

Dr. Lane consulted with librarian Ruth Ann Kramer (1920-2017) at the New Albany-Floyd County Public Libary and its Indiana Room collection. I recently visited there and reviewed their research file. It contains correspondence with Mrs. Kramer and Dr. Lane about George Greene from a period 1980-1982. She carbon copied all her letters about this research and Dr. Lane was good enough to send her copies of what he had found for the library file. The file contains more than what is covered in the 1987 article. Greene had correspondence with James Hall (New York State Museum of Natural History),  Edward Orton (Ohio Geological Survey), Stephen E. Lee (Indiana Department of Geology and Natural History), S.S. Gorby (Indiana Department of Geology and Natural History), William W. Borden (Borden Institute), S.S. Newberry (School of Mines, Columbia College), William A. Oliver (U.S. National Museum), and letters to Canadian geological institutions.

After reading a lot of the letters Mrs. Kramer had sent trying obtain more information about George Greene for the library, I had respect for this research. Since this had occurred over 40 years ago I felt she had probably passed away and went looking for an obituary. I only found a notice in a Pennsylvanian newspaper she had died but no obituary and just that she was buried nearby in Floyd Knobs, Indiana next to her husband. Next did a little more research and found a memorial video created by her daughters on YouTube that I found to be a very touching remembrance of a life well lived.