Echinoconchus alternatus Spiny Brachiopod Fossil

This image appears to be an Echinoconchus alternatus spiny brachiopod fossil. It was found in the Indian Springs Formation of Crawford County, Indiana USA. The fossil dates to the Mississippian Period. Scale on image is in millimeters.

Thanks to Kenny for image.

Dichocrinus Crinoid Calyx Fossil

This image appears to be a Dichocrinus sp. crinoid calyx fossil. It was found in the Indian Springs Formation of Crawford County, Indiana USA. The fossil dates to the Mississippian Period. Scale on image is in millimeters.

Thanks to Kenny for image.

Blastoid Fossil with Brachioles

Starting off the new year with a picture of a super rare fossil find. This is a blastoid fossil with a stem
and part of its very thin feeding tube brachioles intact (see arrow in picture). Blastoid is a species of the genus Pentremites. It was found in the Indiana Springs Member of Crawford County, Indiana, USA. The fossil dates to the lower Carboniferous Period (Mississippian).

Great find Kenny!

Carboniferous Crinoid Calyx

The bottom of this crinoid calyx displays an attractive five plate flower pattern.  This unidentified calyx is from the Upper Mississippian Period.  The fossil was found in Indian Springs Shale Member of the Big Clifty Formation of Crawford County, Indiana. Three specimens are shown in this posting and each fossil is about 1 cm in diameter. UPDATE (2020): These calyx cups might be Phanocrinus or Bicidiocrinus.

Thanks to Kenny for letting me image his fossils for this post.

On a small side note, this is my 900th post.  I will now slow down my publishing rate which has been for a while 7 posts a week.  My plan is now just publish on Sundays and Mondays which should get the blog to 1000 posts in 2011.  If a special occasion or fossil needs to be posted, I will publish outside of this schedule.  If I have any daily readers, thank you for your dedication to this fossil blog.

Looking for a daily read, check out the posts on the ever active Fossil Forum and good geology news and nifty info read the GeoBulletin.

Fossils Found in Crawford County, Indiana - March 2008

Here are some pictures I found from a trip in March 2008 to a road cut in Crawford County, Indiana. It is a fun place to hunt for fossils from the Mississippian or Lower Carboniferous period. You will need to do some climbing though.

Unknown trilobite pygidium found in the Indian Springs Shale of the Big Clifty Formation in Crawford County, Indiana.
UPDATE (2020/02/15): Maybe a Kaskia chesteriensis or Paladin chesteriensis.

Unknown horn corals from the Mississippian period.
UPDATE (2020/02/15): Maybe a Zaphrentites spinulosa or Amplexi zaphrentis?

Unknown crinoid stem with a number of branch stubs.

Unknown crinoid calyx pieces. UPDATE (2020): Maybe Phanocrinus or Bicidiocrinus?

Archimedes sp. from the Upper Mississippian period found in the Indian Springs shale.

Cymbiocrinus (Kirk, 1944) crinoid calyx in plate with crinoid stem pieces.

Blastoids that are probably Pentremites sp. (Say) found in the Indian Springs shale in Crawford County, Indiana.