Coiled Cephalopod Fossil

Finding coiled cephalopod fossils in the area around Louisville is quite rare.  This cephalopod fossil found in Clark County, Indiana, USA. I have posted an image of it before in 2013 but looking at images on my cell phone from 2018, I decided to post some fresher images from different angles.

It was on display at the Indiana University Southeast geology department as of December 2018. It was donated to them by John T. Shelton.

Sauropod Dinosaur Tail Vertebrae Fossil

This image is of a sauropod dinosaur tail vertebrae. The fossil was found in Pryor Mountains, Montana, USA. It was on display at the Indiana University Southeast (IUS) campus, first floor of Sciences Building as part of Glenn M. Mason collection. Image taken November 2018.

Mammuthus primigenius Fossil Tooth

This fossil tooth is thought to be a Mammuthus primigenius. It was found in Scott County, Indiana. The creature existed in the Pleistocene Epoch.


The tooth is on display at the geology department at Indiana University Southeast (IUS) of New Albany, Indiana as of November 2018.

Mercenaria Clam Fossil

This image is of a Mercenaria sp. clam fossil.  The fossil dates to the Jurassic Period (210-145 million years ago). The specimen was found in Mahajunga, Madagascar. It was on display at the Indiana University Southeast (IUS)
campus, first floor of Sciences Building as part of Glenn M. Mason collection. Image taken November 2018.

Iguanodontid Dinosaur Track Cast

This image is of an iguanodontid dinosaur track cast dated Cretaceous Period (100 million years ago). The track was found in Dinosaur Ridge, Colorado, USA. It was on display at the Indiana University Southeast (IUS) campus, first floor of Sciences Building as part of Glenn M. Mason collection. Image taken November 2018.

Bryozoan Fossil

This image is of polypora (bryozoan) fossil dated between Ordovician to Permian Periods (505-245 million years ago). It was on display at the Indiana University Southeast (IUS) campus, first floor of Sciences Building. Image taken November 2018.

In Memory of Dr. Glenn Mason

Earlier last month (November 7, 2018), Dr. Glenn Mason passed away. He was a long time geoscience professor at Indiana University Southeast (IUS) New Albany, Indiana, USA. In 2009, I met Dr. Mason while taking classes at the school. On a Saturday in July of that year, he was kind enough to give me and a small group of geology enthusiasts a tour of the Geosciences department at IUS. Glenn was especially proud of the display cabinets in the hallway outside his office that had a number of minerals, rocks, and fossils. Hopefully, IUS will retain these displays as a memory to Dr. Mason and his contributions to geological science and the local community.

Later some us were able to donate some specimens for these cabinets.

Dr. Mason's office door decorated with dinosaur imagery which was a popular class he taught at the school.

Paradoxides pinus? Trilobite Fossil

The label for this fossil says it is a Paradoxides pinus trilobite from the Paleozoic Era. I would guess it is some sort of Paradoxides trilobite from the Cambrian Period found in Morocco. If I recall this fossil is pretty large, maybe the size of dinner plate.

This fossil is on display at the geology department at Indiana University Southeast (IUS) of New Albany, Indiana as of August 2013.

Mammuthus primigenius Tooth

A Mammuthus primigenius tooth found on display at the geology department at Indiana University Southeast (IUS) of New Albany, Indiana. It is from the Rollen Brandt Collection. The creature existed in the Pleistocene Epoch.

The tooth is on display as of August 2013.

Paleozoic Cephalopod Fossil

This fossil is quite a rare find. A coiled cephalopod found it Clark County, Indiana which means it is probably either Silurian, Devonian or Mississippian in age. The label is not too specific. I would guess it is maybe 20 cm across in size.

It is on display at the Indiana University Southeast geology department as of August 2013. It was donated to them by John T. Shelton.

Mammoth Tooth

Tooth from what was thought to be a Mammuthus primigenius. It was found in Scott County, Indiana. The creature existed in the Pleistocene Epoch.

The tooth is on display at the geology department at Indiana University Southeast (IUS) of New Albany, Indiana as of August 2013.

Cast of Allosaurus fragilis Claw

Image of a resin cast of an Allosaurus fragilis claw. This dinosaur existed about 155-145 million years ago (late Jurassic Period - Kimmeridgian to early Tithonian).

The fossil cast is on display at the geology department at Indiana University Southeast (IUS) of New Albany, Indiana as of August 2013.

Polished Coral from Dominica

Unidentified coral that has been sectioned and polished found in Dominica by a geology class in 2005.

This fossil is on display at the geology department at Indiana University Southeast (IUS) of New Albany, Indiana as of August 2013.

Otodus obliquus Shark Tooth Fossil

Pictured is an Otodus obliquus shark tooth fossil found in Khouribga, Morocco. It dates to the Eocene. Learn more on wikipedia.org.

The fossil is on display at the geology department at Indiana University Southeast (IUS) of New Albany, Indiana as of August 2013.

Fossilized Shrimp Fossil

Fossilized shrimp found in the Miesl Formation of Germany. It dates to the Eocene.

The fossil is on display at the geology department at Indiana University Southeast (IUS) of New Albany, Indiana as of August 2013.

New Albany Shale Shark Tooth

Here is a picture of a shark tooth found in the New Albany Shale of southern Indiana, USA. This layer dates to the Late Devonian Period.

The New Albany Shale is desolate of fossils as the sea at that time was thought be a low oxygen environment. When you look at the shale it is mostly black thin layers that peel off. Sometimes it has a rusty colored coating on the layer and it can smell like sulfur. Bands or nodules of pyrite can be found it as well. When fossils are found it is mostly small brachiopods and fossilized wood. It is possible that Cladoselache shark fossils can be found in this layer as well. See this web posting.

So seeing a nicely shaped shark's tooth in the layer is quite a surprise. The fossil is on display at the geology department at Indiana University Southeast (IUS) of New Albany, Indiana as of August 2013. It was listed as being found in 2004 by Jessica Kinder and Dale Lind.

Indiana University Southeast Geoscience Department

Here are some pictures of samples from the Indiana University Southeast (IUS) Geoscience Department. I was there the other evening inquiring about how to donate some fossils. There is a Halysites chain coral that might look good in their display case with Silurian period fossils.

Dr. Glenn Mason gave me a quick tour of their labs and displays. He was a friendly and enthusiastic professor with degrees from Purdue University, IUS, and University of Wyoming.

He allowed me to take some pictures of some sample in their cutting/polishing lab. Here are some polished corallites of possibly an Ordovician colonial coral.

This is a picture of the outside of that coral. I liked that it still had intact septa showing, this can aid in its identification.
Here is a polished Devonian coral.

Here is a polished cross section of another Devonian coral. I have adjusted the contrast to make the fossils stand out better.

Another polished cut slab of Devonian rock with a lot of corals in it.

There are a number of display cases outside in the hallway with minerals, gemstones, fossils, rocks and bones. Dr. Mason is looking for donations of more display cases so a larger portion of IUS collection can be displayed. He seemed especially interested in showing off more of the local corals and fossils that existed in the southern Indiana and Louisville, Kentucky area.

Just a note that residents of Louisville, Kentucky and Jefferson County, Kentucky and attend IUS put only pay Indiana in-state rates due to an agreement with Louisville schools (University of Louisville).

If there is enough interest, he offered to give KYANA Geological Society members a tour on some weekend.