Aran Island Microscopic Sea Creature Remains

 Continuing with yesterday's posting about microscopic sea creature remains found near Killagoola, Aran Islands, Ireland. The first image is of an unidentified echinoid spine and the 2nd image is an unidentified yet colorful gastropod. Thanks to Kenny for the images. Neither specimen appears to be a fossil yet.

Foraminiferas from Ireland

I do not think these remains of microscopic creatures are fossils yet. Here are three images of some foraminifera found near the Plassey ship wreck, Killagoola, Aran Islands off coast of Galway, Ireland. They have a fields of view (FOV) ranging from 1-2 mm. Thanks to Kenny for these images.
Years ago, I traveled to the Aran Islands while visiting Ireland and it was a rough boat ride. Too bad at the time I was not aware of all the neat microscopic remains to found on the beaches.

Below is a map showing approximately where everything was found.

Saivodus striatus Shark Tooth

This remarkable find of a Paleozoic shark tooth in central Kentucky is a Saivodus striatus.  This type of fossil was originally described by Agassiz in 1843 as the genus Cladodus being a member of the Ctenacanthiformes. Fossil was found in Hardin County (?) of Kentucky in the Mississippian Period Salem Limestone (Meramecian), member of Borden Formation.

The name was changed in a Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology (26(2):253-266. 2006) COMMENTS ON THE SELACHIAN GENUS CLADODUS AGASSIZ, 1843 by Christopher J. Duffin and Michal Ginter.

Here is a link to more pictures of Saivodus found in the Viséan, Mountain Limestone, vicinity of Armagh, Northern Ireland: CLICK HERE

Here is a link to another found in a cave in Tennessee: CLICK HERE

Here is a link to the shark fossils found at Mammoth Cave, Kentucky in 2020: CLICK HERE

Fossil was found and prepped by Mark Palatas of Louisville.

Extraordinary Fossils Lecture by Derek Briggs

Trinity College Dublin posted a fossil lecture video on YouTube on December 23, 2010. The lecture is by Professor Derek Briggs, Director of the Yale Peabody Museum of Natural History entitled Extraordinary fossils Windows on the history of life on Earth. The location was the Botany Lecture Theatre of Trinity College in Dublin, Ireland. Lecture was given on December 10, 2010.

Learn more about Derek Briggs HERE and the Briggs Laboratory HERE Thanks to pleecan for posting a message about this video on the Fossil Forum.

More Emerald Isle Fossils

This posting shows seven fossils found beach combing in the Aran Islands off the west coast of Ireland.  Thanks to Vincent Coleman for sending images of fossils he has been finding there.  The lead off image is straight shelled cephalopod fossils showing the growth chambers. I really like the green-olive color lichens contrasting the rock color.

The next three pictures are of coral fossils.  More than likely some sort of horn corals.   I have been told these fossils are from the Mississippian period (Carboniferous).

The following image is of the most interesting fossil.  Is it some sort of early vertebrate creature like a Phlegethontia or Lysorophian? It could also be the cross section of a horn coral or just pseudo fossil shape.
 

Next picture might be part of an eroded crinoid calyx.

Last image is a fossil that was covered by the Atlantic Ocean when taken.  It is spiraled form of maybe a cephalopod or gastropod.

Fossil of the Aran Isles

 

Vincent Coleman of Ireland recently sent me some pictures of a fossil he spotted in limestone on an Aran Islands beach (off the west coast of Ireland).  It appears to be an orthocone cephalopod fossil with the chambers and siphincle visible.  He noted it was appoximately 40 cm long.  Also his research shows the rock is probably dated to the Lower Carboniferous (approx. 330 million years ago).

This is a nice find especially for its size and the great constrast between matrix and fossil.  Who knows maybe Ireland's Galway coast can attract tourist the way the "Jurassic Coast" of southern England has for fossil hunters.

Ireland is a great place to visit and Aran Isles are known for their hand knitted wool sweaters.  Last two pictures are from my last trip there. The first picture are of some unidentified islands off Irelands southern coast and the last is a popular tourist destination, the Cliffs of Moher.