Eurypterid and Mastodon Fossils at ISM

I am a big fan of museums which is why I have spent hundreds of hours volunteering at my local one. One of my favorite museums is the Indiana State Museum in Indianapolis, Indiana USA. They have a great number of exhibits showing off fossils found around the state of Indiana. In addition, they are publishing videos of fossils they have in their collection.

This first video is of a Silurian period Eurypterid found in a quarry in Kokomo, Indiana. If the display box is showing a different video, here is the direct link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&list=UUg23t7QR8PYx5N3WX2M2eMg&v=ewev2B5-01I



The next video shows the assembly of the 13,000 year old Fred the mastodon fossil for an exhibit entitled Indiana's Ice Age Giants: The Mystery of Mammoths and Mastodons. It opens in November 2013. If the display box is showing a different video, here is the direct link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?list=UUg23t7QR8PYx5N3WX2M2eMg&v=ulUBrHPIPPM&feature=player_embedded




This video shows the Bothwell dig in 2005 that uncovered seven mastodonts, part of giant beaver, and vertebrate of stag moose. The dig was near Hebron, Indiana. See video at this link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aKJ3CYRvF28
 
This video shows a 2008 fossil dig in an Indiana corn field.

Carcinosoma newlini Arthropod Fossil

This large Silurian fossil is of a Carcinosoma newlini eurypterid. Fossil was found in the Kokomo Limestone of Indiana and is housed at the Indiana State Museum (Indianapolis). Creature swam the seas that covered the state in the Late Silurian Period.

Note: there is a shadow across the fossil causing one side to be darker than the other.

Learn more about this type creature on Wikipedia.

Learn more about the Indiana State Museum at their web site.

Sea Scorpion Art

Abstract rendering that needs some shading corrections - Adobe Illustrator.

Eurypterid Fossil Fragment

This fossil is of the prosoma ("head") of an Eurypterid ("sea scorpion"). This specimen was found at the Ridgemount Quarry in Fort Erie, Ontario, Canada. Its identification might be an Eurypterus lacustris (Harlan). This particular fossil was found in the Fiddlers Green Member of the Bertie Dolestone of the Williamsville Formation. This creature probably existed about 423-418 million years ago (upper Silurian Period). See this website for more details.

Thanks to Dave for sending this fossil to me.

Eurypterid Megalograptus

Here are some pictures of eurypterid (sea scorpion) fragments stored at the Cincinnati Museum Geier Collections Center. I believe most of these are Megalograptus.

Eurypterid Megalograptus ohioensis

On KYANA Geological Society's last trip to the Cincinnati Museum Geier Collection Center, one of our members Bill donated part of a fossilized eurypterid (sea scorpion). The piece is part of a eurypterid leg from the Upper Ordovician Period and was found near LaGrange, Kentucky.

I was not aware that such creatures roamed the ancient seas this close to Louisville, Kentucky. The fossil was found at least 25 years ago and pictures were sent to Dr. Kenneth Caster at the University of Cincinnati at that time. He replied back and noted that it appeared to be a Megalograptus ohioensis. He also said that it was only the 2nd record of that genus in the Cincinnatian Series. Dr. Caster also put this in his correspondence: "I suspect that the seemingly single series of comb-like spines on the distal portion is preservational in all likelihood: only the series of articulated spines on one side being preserved."

So if you are hunting the Ordovician Period fossil road cuts in this area, be on the look out for pieces like this.