Pileopsis tribolatus

 

This image is of Pileopsis tribolatus gastropod fossil. It was found in Italy.

Picture taken at Museo di Geologia e Paleontologia Florence Italy (Università degli Studi di Firenze) in August 2024.

Cephalopod Fossil at Basilica di Santa Croce

Here is a picture of a rare straight shelled cephalopod fossil found at Basilica di Santa Croce in Florence, Italy. I see a lot of coiled ammonoids in this material but not so many straight shelled cephalopods.

This building material is a iron enriched (red) limestone also known as Red Verona marble or Rosso Verona marble used in a lot of churches including this one. The material dates to the Upper Jurassic Period of the Rosso Ammonitico Formation, Oxfordian Stage, Verona Province, Venetia Region of Italy. Pictures taken August 2024.

 Look in the reddish square shapes in front of the tomb of Neri Corsini (1614-1678). Here is map.

Diploria flexuosissima

 

These images are of Diploria flexuosissima (d'Achiardi, 1868) scleractinian coral fossil. They were found in Montecchio Maggiore, Veneto, Italy and dates to the Paleogene Period.

Pictures taken at Museo di Geologia e Paleontologia Florence Italy (Università degli Studi di Firenze) in August 2024.

Septatraea geometrica Coral Fossil

 

This image is of Septatraea geometrica coral fossil. It was found in Italy and dates to the Miocene Epoch.

Picture taken at Museo di Geologia e Paleontologia Florence Italy (Università degli Studi di Firenze) in August 2024.

 

Homotherium crenatidens Tiger Fossil

 

This image is of the cranium and mandible of a Homotherium crenatidens saber-tooth tiger fossil. The animal existed in the Pleistocene Epoch. Fossil was discovered in 1870 near Sammerzzano, Upper Valdarno, Italy.


Picture taken at Museo di Geologia e Paleontologia Florence Italy (Università degli Studi di Firenze) in August 2024.

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Homotherium

Return To the Fossils of the Vatican

Last month, I returned to  St. Peter's Basilica in Vatican City near Rome, Italy. On September 3, 2019 I posted a blog entry about finding ammonite fossils in some of the floor slabs on a visit there. This building material is a iron enriched (red) limestone also known as Red Verona marble or Rosso Verona marble used in a lot of churches including this one. I now know to look for fossils when I see the reddish-pink stone in floors. The material dates to the Upper Jurassic Period of the Rosso Ammonitico Formation, Oxfordian Stage, Verona Province, Venetia Region of Italy.

 

On this visit, I investigated some of the slabs in more obscure locations like the corners along walls and found some very nicely preserved ammonoid fossils. It appears the stone mason might have intentional put some of these slabs with fossils there and they have held up well since people are not walking on that surface.

Fluorescent Opal Belemnite Fossil

This opal fossil is UV fluorescent. The original aragonite internal shell dissolved and was replaced by opal in this belemnite fossil. It existed in the Cretaceous Period. Fossil was probably found in Coober Pedy, Australia. Specimen was on display at the la Specola Museo Di Zoologia Ceropastica e Mineralogia (Florence, Italy) (August 2024).

 

Echinolampas hoffmani Enchinoderm Fossils

This image is of an Echinolampas hoffmani (Desor, 1847) enchinoderm fossils. The creatures existed in the Pliocene Epoch of the Neogene Period. Fossila were discovered in Parlascio, Toscana, Italy.

Picture taken at Museo di Geologia e Paleontologia Florence Italy (Università degli Studi di Firenze) on August 2019.

Typhis horridus Gastropod Fossils

This image is of a Typhis (Hirtotyphis) horridus (Brocchi, G.B., 1814) gastropod fossils. The creatures existed in the Pliocene Epoch of the Neogene Period. Fossil was discovered in Orciano Pisano, Toscana, Italy.

Picture taken at Museo di Geologia e Paleontologia Florence Italy (Università degli Studi di Firenze) on August 2019.

Naseus rectifrons Fish Fossil

This fossil was displayed on August 2022, at the Harvard Museum of Natural History in Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA. This fish fossil is called Naseus rectifrons (Agassiz, 1842). This specimen was found at Monte Bolca near Veona, Italy. It dates to the Eocene Epoch, Paleogene Period.

 

https://mczbase.mcz.harvard.edu/guid/MCZ:VP:VPF-5378

 

 

Yellow Ammonoid Fossils at Central Boston Public Library

 

The Boston Public Library's McKim Building is an artistic and geological wonder. So many ammonite fossils embedded in the marble floor tiles. The complex is known as the Central Library in Copley Square of Boston, Massachusetts, USA. The building completed in 1895 at cost of 2.2 million dollars. Charles Follen McKim (1847-1909) was the chief architect for this building.

The floor contains Jurassic Period Siena marble (limestone) from Italy. When visiting the library look at the floor for sections of yellow marble and see the whorled remains of these cephalopods.

Once up the staircase the hallway leads to The Abbey Room and Bates Hall. The circular yellow section in the floor contains two prominent yellow ammonite fossils.

 

Other postings about Boston Public Library fossils:
https://louisvillefossils.blogspot.com/2022/08/red-ammonoid-fossils-at-central-boston.html
https://louisvillefossils.blogspot.com/2022/08/red-belemnite-fossil-at-boston-public.html

Pycnodus platessus Fish Fossil

This fossil was displayed on August 2022, at the Harvard Museum of Natural History in Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA. This fish fossil is called Pycnodus platessus (Blainville). This specimen was found at Monte Bolca, Veneto, Italy. It dates to the Eocene Epoch, Paleogene Period. Catalog number is MCZ6248 or VPF-6248.

https://mczbase.mcz.harvard.edu/guid/MCZ:VP:VPF-6248

https://hmnh.harvard.edu/

Lates gracilis Fish Fossil

This fossil was displayed on August 2022, at the Harvard Museum of Natural History in Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA. This fish fossil is called Lates gracilis (Agassiz). This specimen was found at Monte Bolca (Verona), Veneto, Italy. It dates to the Eocene Epoch, Paleogene Period. Catalog number is MCZ5369 or VPF-5369.

https://mczbase.mcz.harvard.edu/guid/MCZ:VP:VPF-5369

https://hmnh.harvard.edu/

Ephippus rhombus Fish Fossil

This fossil was displayed on August 2022, at the Harvard Museum of Natural History in Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA. This fish fossil is called Ephippus rhombus (Blainville). This specimen was found at Monte Bolca, Veneto, Italy. It dates to the Eocene Epoch, Paleogene Period. Catalog number is MCZ5379 or VPF-5379.

https://mczbase.mcz.harvard.edu/guid/MCZ:VP:VPF-5379 

https://hmnh.harvard.edu/

Red Belemnite Fossil at Boston Public Library's Abbey Room

 Yesterday I introduced the Boston's Central Public Library building (McKim) and the ammonoid fossils found there. Today I will introduce another type of fossil I have not seen in the red Verona marble before.

On the second floor of the McKim Building is the Abbey Room (originally the Book Delivery Room where books were picked up by patrons). The walls of the room have fifteen panels depicting Sir Galahad's Quest for the Holy Grail painted by Edwin Austin Abbey (1852-1911). He used Alfred, Lord  Tennyson's story Idylls of the King for the basis of these paintings. The checkerboard pattern of tiles on the floor are white Istrian limestone and red Verona marble (limestone aka Rosso Verona).

While looking at the flooring tiles I spotted the familiar shape of a belemnite (part of extinct squid-like cephalopod). This creature existed in the Upper Jurassic Period (Oxfordian Stage). Tile was probably quarried from the Rosso Ammonitico Formation of Verona Province of Venetia Region of Italy.

Red Ammonoid Fossils at Central Boston Public Library

The biggest surprise for me when I visited Boston last week was the Boston Public Library's McKim Building. It is an artistic and geological wonder. So many ammonite fossils embedded in the marble floor tiles. The complex is known as the Central Library in Copley Square of Boston, Massachusetts, USA. The City of Boston chartered their public library system in 1848. Decades later having outgrown previous locations they awarded a contract in 1887 to the firm of McKim, Mead, and White to build what is now known as the McKim Building. The cornerstone was placed in 1888 in which Oliver Wendell Holmes wrote in his dedication poem, "This palace is the people's own" (origin of it's later name "Palace of the People"). The building completed in 1895 at cost of 2.2 million dollars. Charles Follen McKim (1847-1909) was the chief architect for this building.

On the second floor of the McKim Building is the Abbey Room (originally the Book Delivery Room where books were picked up by patrons). The walls of the room have fifteen panels depicting Sir Galahad's Quest for the Holy Grail painted by Edwin Austin Abbey (1852-1911). He used Alfred, Lord  Tennyson's story Idylls of the King for the basis of these paintings. The checkerboard pattern of tiles on the floor are white Istrian limestone and red Verona marble (limestone aka Rosso Verona). Some of these reddish-pink tiles contain coiled ammonoids similar to what I found in Italy at Rome's St. Ignazio Church and Vatican City's St. Peter's Basilica.

Elwell, Newton W. "Delivery room." Photograph. Boston, Mass.: Geo. H. Polley & Co., 1896. Digital Commonwealth, https://ark.digitalcommonwealth.org/ark:/50959/6h440w43c (accessed August 21, 2022).

 

 

 

It is amazing that these tiles have been in place for over 100 years. These ammonoids date to the Upper Jurassic Period of the Rosso Ammonitico Formation, Oxfordian Stage, Verona Province, Venetia Region of Italy.

Further reading:

https://quarriesandbeyond.org/states/ia/ia-structures.htm

https://www.digitalcommonwealth.org/search/commonwealth:ms35tx11f

https://slownomads.phoosh.net/fossil-hunting-in-verona/

 https://www.marmirossi.com/en/news/focus-materials/the-historical-bond-between-marble-and-verona

https://www.flickr.com/photos/jsjgeology/14802172801 

Agathiphyllia gregaria Coral Fossil

Here is a picture of an Agathiphyllia gregaria coral fossil at the Museo di Paleontologia at Sapienza University of Rome Italy. Fossil was found in Belforte Monferrato Alessandris Piemonte Italy. It dates to the Oligocene Epoch.

Image taken in June 2014.

Dendrophillia america Coral Fossil

Here is a picture of a Dendrophillia america coral fossil at the Museo di Paleontologia at Sapienza University of Rome Italy. Fossil was found in Siena, Tuscany Italy.

Image taken in June 2014.

Chama placentina Fossil

Here is a picture of a Chama placentina (Defrance, 1817) bivalve fossil at the Museo di Paleontologia at Sapienza University of Rome Italy. Creatures like this existed in the ocean at the time of the Pleistocene Epoch. Fossil was found in Italy.

Image taken in June 2014.

Placenticeras meeki Ammonite Fossil

Here is a picture of a Placenticeras meeki ammonite fossil at the Museo di Paleontologia at Sapienza University of Rome Italy. Creatures like this existed in the western interior seaway at the time of the upper/late Cretaceous Period (ICS geological timescale: Maastrichtian; 70 million years ago). Fossil was found in Cheyenne River of South Dakota USA.

Image taken in June 2014.