Amplexus Pyrite Horn Coral

This fossil is a pyritized horn coral. The identification appears to be Amplexus fragilis (White & St. John) of the Coral Ridge fauna, New Providence Shale of Jefferson County, Kentucky. Time period for this specimen is Middle Mississippian (Osagean). It was found by a local geology professor Barbara Conkin years ago.

Pyrite Leptaena rhomboidalis Fossil

The picture above is of a pyrite brachiopod fossil called Leptaena rhomboidalis (Wahlenberg, 1818).  Fossil found in the Waldron Shale of Clark County Indiana USA. It dates to the Silurian Period.

Fossil on display at Falls of the Ohio Interpretative Center Clarksville Indiana USA as of December 2022.

Pyrite Fenestella acmea Bryozoan Fossil

 

Saturday I gave a talk at the Falls of the Ohio Interpretative Center entitled "Fossils Around Us - You Don't Always Have to Go to the Wilds of Nature to Find Creatures of the Past". This presentation was about fossils one can find in buildings and other human constructed objects. 

After finishing I checked out the Waldron Shale Fossil exhibit at the center. Lots of Silurian Period fossils to look at in the display case.

Highlighted in this post is a fossil called Fenestella acmea (Hall) bryozoan fossil. Fossil found in the Waldron Shale of Clark County Indiana USA. It dates to the Silurian Period. Very nice specimen as it is coated in pyrite.

26th Annual Digging the Past Event

 

Back from volunteering at the Falls of the Ohio State Park (Clarksville, Indiana USA) where I spent about 4 hours identifying and digging up Silurian fossils for visitors to the park. I spent my time at the four socially distanced Waldron Shale piles containing Silurian period fossils. It was a real treat working this year as I was paired with local historian/teacher and park volunteer Kenny Karem. I enjoyed hearing his stories about his long time friend and Falls park advocate Ruth Browne (1905-1999).

Even though it rained yesterday, the piles did not yield too many fossils on the surface. After splitting some of the shale rocks, I found several Eucalyptocrinites crinoid cups and some stem pieces. These fossils were given to some teachers from Ohio.

This next image shows Atrypa and Fardenia brachiopod fossil imprints (negative). I gave the positive side away to someone not having much luck finding any fossils. Did not take a picture of it before hand. A number white calcite Atrypa brachiopods were found while I was there.

Last image is of a mineral found in the Waldron Shale: pyrite or "fool's gold". I challenged a number of children collecting at the piles to try and find some pyrite crystals to take home with them.

All in all a nice day. It was hot (in the 90s F and humid). Working in the shale piles was muddy. I did not get to check out how the mineral piles or Devonian period fossil piles were going. The Devonian one was very mucky and wet.

Read my write up of this event in 2020 at THIS LINK.

Pyrite Snail with Worm Tubes Fossils

This snail fossil is quite a find but so much more with encrusted worm tubes, bryozoans and pyrite cubic shapes. The snail appears to be a Platystoma niagarense with four visible Cornulites propius worm tubes and maybe a encrusting trepostome bryozoan. The end of the largest worm tube is a golden colored pyrite. The snail shell appears to be composed pyrite as well. It was found in the Waldron Shale of Shelby County Indiana USA. The fossils date to the Middle Silurian Period.

German Pleuroceras Ammonite Fossil

This fossil appears to be a Pleuroceras ammonite. The creature existed in the Jurassic Period. Fossil was found in the Lower Lias of Untersteurmig Germany. Thanks to Kenny for the images of the fossils and prepping this fossil.

Unidentified Pyritized Ammonite Fossils

My favorite place to buy fossils in Lyme Regis, England was not really a dedicated fossil seller at all. The small out of the way shop was called Connie's Curios & Fossils which was next to the post office. I had visited 3 larger more prominent fossil stores and my main focus was finding fossils from the area. While the other shops had nicer more expensive fossils this store had small bags of mostly fossils in the rough from the area. Once I got back to the United States I started using a dental pick and engraver to remove matrix to show more of the ammonite fossils. I was also able to get the pyrite to shine more.

Image of ammonites before cleaning.

 

Image of ammonites after cleaning.

Magnified ammonite fossil detail.

Pyrite Strobeus Snail Fossil

This is one beautiful and shiny fossil! It appears to be a Strobeus pyrite gastropod fossil. It was found in a coal mine at a depth of 60-250 meters. More pictures below show some more specimens that were found.

My identification source is Fossils of Ohio (Bulletin 70, Rodney M. Feldmann Editor, State of Ohio, Department of Natural Resources, Division of Geological Survey, Columbus Ohio 1986) pages 162-173, figure 24 of specimen from Putnam Hill shale (Allegheny Group, Pennsylvanian) Vinton County Ohio, OSU 46701.

The fossil was situated above the coal seam so it might be from the Pennsylvanian Period (late Carboniferous). It was found in Webster County Kentucky USA. The mines there are part of the Eastern Interior Basin. The formations found there are Sturgis, Carbondale, and Tradewater. The limestone layers are Carthage, Madisonville, Providence, Yeargiss?, and Lead Creek.

Learn more about the geology of this area at the United States Geological Survey:
http://pubs.usgs.gov/pp/p1151h/penn.html

Shansiella? Pyrite Gastropod Fossil

This pyrite gastropod fossil appears to be a Shansiella. It was found in a coal mine at a depth of 60-250 meters.

My identification source is Fossils of Ohio (Bulletin 70, Rodney M. Feldmann Editor, State of Ohio, Department of Natural Resources, Division of Geological Survey, Columbus Ohio 1986) pages 162-173, figure 23 of specimen from Putnam Hill shale (Allegheny Group, Pennsylvanian) Vinton County Ohio, OSU 46697.

The fossil was situated above the coal seam so it might be from the Pennsylvanian Period (late Carboniferous). It was found in Webster County Kentucky USA. The mines there are part of the Eastern Interior Basin. The formations found there are Sturgis, Carbondale, and Tradewater. The limestone layers are Carthage, Madisonville, Providence, Yeargiss?, and Lead Creek.

Learn more about the geology of this area at the United States Geological Survey:
http://pubs.usgs.gov/pp/p1151h/penn.html

Pyrite Bellerophon Fossil

This pyrite gastropod fossil has well defined ridges that make it easier to identify. It appears to be a Bellerophon. It was found in a coal mine at a depth of 60-250 meters.

My identification source is Fossils of Ohio (Bulletin 70, Rodney M. Feldmann Editor, State of Ohio, Department of Natural Resources, Division of Geological Survey, Columbus Ohio 1986) pages 162-173, figures 15-16 of specimen from Cambridge shale (Conemaugh Group, Pennsylvanian) New Concord, Guernsey County Ohio, OSU 46696.

The fossil was situated above the coal seam so it might be from the Pennsylvanian Period (late Carboniferous). It was found in Webster County Kentucky USA. The mines there are part of the Eastern Interior Basin. The formations found there are Sturgis, Carbondale, and Tradewater. The limestone layers are Carthage, Madisonville, Providence, Yeargiss?, and Lead Creek.

Learn more about the geology of this area at the United States Geological Survey:
http://pubs.usgs.gov/pp/p1151h/penn.html

Pyrite Trepospira Gastropod Fossil

This gastropod fossil is interesting as it pyrite embedded in a dark shale. It appears to be a Trepospira. It was found in a coal mine at a depth of 60-250 meters.

My identification source is Fossils of Ohio (Bulletin 70, Rodney M. Feldmann Editor, State of Ohio, Department of Natural Resources, Division of Geological Survey, Columbus Ohio 1986) pages 162-173, figures 13-14 of specimen from Putnam Hill shale (Allegheny Group, Pennsylvanian) south of New Philadelphia, Tuscarawas County Ohio, OSU 46720.

The fossil was situated above the coal seam so it might be from the Pennsylvanian Period (late Carboniferous). It was found in Webster County Kentucky USA. The mines there are part of the Eastern Interior Basin. The formations found there are Sturgis, Carbondale, and Tradewater. The limestone layers are Carthage, Madisonville, Providence, Yeargiss?, and Lead Creek.

Learn more about the geology of this area at the United States Geological Survey:
http://pubs.usgs.gov/pp/p1151h/penn.html

Pyritized Strophodonta Brachiopod

Here are two pictures of a pyritized Strophodonta brachiopod fossil. It was found in the Silica Formation of Sylvania, Ohio USA. The creature lived in the Middle Devonian Period.  Learn more about where these fossils are found at Olander Fossil Park web site.

Thanks to Vic for the pictures of this fossil.

My friend Dave has a blog with a special section for the fossil from this area. Click this to go to Views of the Mahantango blog.

Pyrite of the Waldron Shale

 Pyrite crystals found in the Waldron Shale of Clark County Indiana. It is from the Silurian Period.

Pyrite Cephalopod Fossil

This small pyrite fossil is some sort of straight shelled cephalopod. It was found in the Coral Ridge Member of the New Providence Formation which dates to the Middle Mississippian Period (Osagean). The fossil was found in Clark County, Indiana.
The second picture shows a cross section of one of the creatures chambers in an oval spot shows where the siphuncle was. The fossil is about 4 cm long and 1 cm wide. Thanks to Kenny for the pictures.

Pyrite/Marcasite Silurian Fossils

All these fossils were found in the Waldron Shale of Clark County, Indiana. All contain pyrite or marcasite minerals. These first two pictures show the iron sulfide clusters embedded in a Silurian Period brachiopod Homoespirifer evax.

 The next two pictures show a segment of byrozoan encrusted with pyrite.

The last two pictures do not this fossil pairing justice. It is a crinoid stem that has another crinoid holdfast wrapped around the stem. Both are encrusted with pyrite or marcasite. A nice photo of one these crinoid ensembles at the Falls of the Ohio State Park web site: CLICK HERE.

Pyritized Horn Coral - Amplexus fragilis

This is an interesting fossil in that it is pyritized and a horn coral. The identification appears to be Amplexus fragilis (White & St. John) of the Coral Ridge fauna, New Providence Shale of Jefferson County, Kentucky. Time period for this specimen is Middle Mississippian (Osagean).

Thanks to Alan for trading for this fossil.

Pleuroceras spinatum Ammonites

These pyrite fossils are Pleuroceras spinatum found in the Lower Lias formation of Untersturmig, Germany. These creatures swam around in the Jurassic period (200-145 million years ago). The scale in the second image is in inches. Thanks Mark Palatas for allowing me to photograph it.

Pyrite Stegerhynchus Brachiopods

While this brachiopod is common in the Waldron Shale, these in pyrite form are rare. Field of view of the microscope is about 8 mm.  Internally, the fossil is calcite which is covered in a thin layer of pyrite.