Platystrophia ponderosa Brachiopod - Kentucky

Platystrophia ponderosa brachiopod found in McMillan Formation of Spencer County, Kentucky. Creature lived in the Ordovician Period. The brachiopod is the state fossil of Kentucky.

Air Scribe of a Brachiopod

Over the weekend I got a chance to use an air scribe for the first time. My intent was to clean a blastoid that was recently given to me. I will post my initial work on this soon. After realizing that it takes quite a bit of time to fully clean a fossil so I picked up this brachiopod to clean one side real fast.

This first picture is of the side of Ordovician brachiopod found east of Louisville, Kentucky that was not cleaned.

Here is the picture of the other side that has been cleaned.

A close up of part of the brachiopod. You can see the growth lines.

Different angle view of the cleaned brachiopod.

Ordovician Brachiopod (Platystrophia?)

Here is an Ordovician period brachiopod found in eastern Jefferson County, Kentucky. It is possible it is a Platystrophia

Platystrophia ponderosa Brachiopod

Here are a number of brachiopods found at the Bardstown Road site near Mt. Washington.
It appears most are Platystrophia ponderosa brachiopods.

Maybe 3 or so (near bottom left corner of image) could be Platystrophia cypha with its high arching like fins in the shell.

Two brachiopods on the far left column and in its middle are probably Hebertella brachiopods with the fine lines on the shell. The Ohio Fossils book (Bulletin 54 from Ohio Geological Survey, 1955) lists 3 species for Hebertella: Hebertella sinuata, Hebertella occidentalis, and Hebertella insculpta.