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.

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.

 

Kentucky Conularia Fossil

This fossil was recently found in Allen County Kentucky USA. It appears to be a Conularia sp. The creature existed in the Mississippian Period. The fossil is from the Fort Payne Formation.

Thanks to Kenny for the image.

Crinoid Fossil Column Section

 

 

This crinoid fossil was collected in 2009 at Lake Cumberland Kentucky USA. It dates to the Mississippian Period and was found in the Fort Payne Formation. Recently, I had it out to test a new ultrasonic cleaner.

Actinocrinites Crinoid Calyx Fossil

Over 10 years ago, a crinoid plate was found at Fort Payne Formation of Lake Cumberland Kentucky, USA. It is an interesting find in that the broken apart crinoid calyx can be seen on both sides of the plate. Also the plates have such a distinct and pronounced pattern. After showing this to my cousin Kenny, he determined the crinoid remains appear to be an unknown species of the genus Actinocrinites. The plate is about 17 cm long and 13 cm wide at maximum lengths. The individual plates are about 1.5 to 2 cm in diameter.

Mississippian Period Trilobite Pygidium

Rare is a find than that of a trilobite fragment in the Mississippian Period (Lower Carboniferous - 359 to 318 million years ago) Fort Payne Formation of Lake Cumberland, Kentucky. This picture is of such a find that being a trilobite pygidium found in a gray rock shale with a lot of compressed Fenestella like bryozoan pieces.

This specimen is quite small and hard to get a detailed image of. It is about 1.5 cm wide. Looking at the article in the Journal of Paleontology, November 1966 entitled "Mississippian Trilobites from Northwestern Georgia" by Mark Rich of the University of Georgia in Athens, two trilobite genus are mentioned being in the Fort Payne Chert: Australosutra and Proetus.  I am not familiar with the Australosutra trilobite and do not see one in the Google Image database.  The Proetus trilobite has more of a bubble like hump in the middle lobe of the pygidium so it might not be that genus.  Next time I am on JSTOR I will try and look at that article and see if the images look anything like this one.