Indiana Cornugenys Scolecondonts

Scolecondont fossils that appears to be a Cornugenys (Jansonius & Craig, 1971). Images were taken under microscope and field of view is 2 mm. Found near Brookville Lake, Franklin County Indiana USA and Waynesville Formation dates to the Ordovician Period.

 Learn more at the Dry Dredgers site: http://drydredgers.org/scolec2.htm

Thanks to Kenny for the images.

 

 

Cornugenys Scolecondont Fossil

 

Scolecondont fossil that appears to be a Cornugenys (Jansonius & Craig, 1971). Image taken under microscope and field of view is 2 mm. Found near Brookville Lake, Indiana and Waynesville Formation dates to the Ordovician Period.

 Learn more at the Dry Dredgers site: http://drydredgers.org/scolec2.htm

Thanks to Kenny for the image. 

Unidentified Devonian Scolecodont Fossil

This microfossil is an unidentified scolecodont. The field of view (FOV) is about 3 mm. It dates to the Devonian Period. The fossil was found in the Beechwood Limestone of Clark County, Indiana USA.

Thanks to Kenny for the image.

My Fossil Artwork on a Commercial Product

I guess I should feel flattered that an Internet fossil dealer put an image I created on one of the fossils they sell. On October 30, 2009, I posted about Scolecondonts in which I tried to draw an image of what one of these extinct creatures might look like. My first drawing was something out of science fiction. A reader let me know that the image I wanted was more like a modern day clam or sand worm so I created the image above for that earlier posting.

Recently,  I was checking out fossils on the indiana9fossils.com (note site name is changing in January 2018 to Prehistoric Fossils) in the Invertbrate Fossil Worm section and saw my image on the packaging for a scolecodont fossil they are trying to sell for $35.

It is too bad in that the image I created in my opinion made the jaws too big in relation to the body. See this recent post on sand worms. I am tempted to create a new image but on based on a bobbit worm as a scolecodont.

My feelings are mixed about the use of this image: glad that it was good enough to be used on a commercial product but I should have been asked about using this image beforehand. From what it appears to me, the person creating labels for the fossils for sale is using an Internet image search engine to find picture/drawings and then copying them onto the labels. Sadly, the other worm fossil they were showing as of 12/21/2017 was a cornulites but the image used on the label is of a conularia (which I think has little relation to worms).

Sand Worms

I have always been intrigued by scolecodonts (fossil worm jaws/teeth) ever since finding one on a Ordovician road cut back in 2009. When visiting Dr. Conkin one day I saw a jar in his study with jaws similar to fossils I had been finding. As it turns out these were modern day Nereis sand worms. Here are some images of these creatures, there was no label showing where they were found.

While watching the Smithsonian channel I saw a video on Bobbit worms whose jaws seem very similar to the scoledonts found in the Ordovician rock. See this Wikipedia entry on Eunice aphroditois.

Atraktoprion Scolecodont Fossil

This image is of a microfossil fragment that appears to be an Atraktoprion scolecodont. It was found in the Kope or Fairview Formations of Mason County, Kentucky, USA. The creature existed in the Ordovician Period. Field of view is about 1 mm.

Thanks to Kenny for the picture.

Waldron Shale Scolecodont Fragment

This picture is of a microfossil called a scolecondont (part of a worm jaw). It was found in the Waldron Shale of Clark County, Indiana, USA. The age is around 420 million years old which would place it in the Silurian Period.

It reminds me of a Silurian scolecodont found in Sweden called Kettnerites sp.  Also one found in New York called Nereidavus invisibilis. I have not been able to find much research on the ones found in the American Waldron Shale though.

Thanks to Kenny for the picture.

Nereidavus invisibilis? Scolecodont

This fossil appears to be a Nereidavus invisibilis? scolecodont found in the Silurian Waldron Shale of Clark County, Indiana, USA.  The fossil was found on top of another fossil as can be seen in the second picture.  The second fossil is a crinoid holdfast.

Thanks to Kenny for the pictures and identification.  See other possible scolecodonts found in the Waldron Shale: CLICK HERE and CLICK HERE.

Wikipedia has pictures of the modern sandworm Alitta virens (old genus name Nereis): CLICK HERE

Plate Full of Scolecodonts

Recently, I found a plate with over 8 scolecodonts embedded on its surface.  Though the specimens are quite small and a magnifier is needed to make out details, it is an amazing find.  Fossil plate found in Trimble County, Kentucky in maybe the Drake Formation.  These animals existed in the Ordovician Period.  In addition to scolecodonts there are also a few graptolites and impressions of maybe brachiopods.

Silurian Scolecodont

Spotted a small black speck while trimming down mineral specimens with the diamond saw.  Later took some pictures through the stereo microscope using 23x and 40x magnification.  The matrix is very fragile but this appears to be a scolecodont without the serrated edge. Found in Waldron Shale (Middle Silurian) of Clark County, Indiana.

In addition, here is an interesting specimen of iridescent pyrite also found in the Waldron Shale.

This next image is a microscope shot of a Waldron Shale pyrite ball.

Last picture is not from the Silurian period but much older.  It dates to the Ordovician Period and might be Drake Formation.  Found east of Louisville, Kentucky.

Silurian Scolecodont

This is my first find of a scolecodont in the Waldron Shale of Clark County, Indiana.  It was found while studying a slab for graptolites after seeing an iridescent (rainbow) pattern in the sunlight being reflected into my loupe.  The hook like shape is a visual signature of some scolecodonts. 

This Waldron shale breaks down in water quite easily and after isolating the fossil from the slab with an engraver, dental pick, pen knife, and spray bottle.  The shale flake containing the fossil was put on a microscope slide and these images were produced.  I used a needle tool to move more matrix from the fossil which revealed how fragile it and the matrix was.  The scolecodont had cracks and pieces did break off after being separated from the majority of the matrix.  This fossil is not a resilient as the Ordovician ones I am use to working with.  My intent was too look for the serrated edge that runs along the top of the fossil.  It was found at 100x magnification (though not very photogenic).

Unsure about its name and I have not really researched Silurian Period scolecodonts before.  Most of the sources I know are on the Ordovician ones found east of the city.

The 100x images are somewhat blurry but the serrated edge is intact on this fossil (just very small).

Indiana Scolecodonts

Scolecodont fossil from Madison, Indiana (Jefferson County) found in the Whitewater Formation.  This creature existed in the Ordovician Period.  Using the Dry Dredger scolecodont identification web page, this appears to be a Lobogenys (magnified 40x).  Note to reader, rest of images on page were taken with a microscope at 40x magnification.

This next fossil with its amber appearance is some sort of conodont. 

This next scolecodont might be an Arabellite.

This fossil is close up of the same fossil pictured at the beginning of the post so it is a Lobogenys.

This next fossil might be a Lobogenys as well.

This scolecodont with a fang still intact is probably an Arabellites.

This fossil could be a Colpogenys.

Not sure what this scolecodont is since it is missing quite a few teeth.

Another picture of the conodont shown earlier but photographed with a different type of light.

Unknown scolecodont fragment is the last picture.

Thanks to Kenny for the material to look through to find these.  So far I have found 13 scolecodont  pieces with four pretty much intact with one bag left to analyze.

Cincinnatian Conodonts

Pictures of conodont pieces from Jefferson County, Indiana. These fossil pieces belonged to creatures existing in the Upper Ordovician Period of Maysvillian-Cincinnatian Stage.

Thanks to Kenny for the images. [UPDATED: Thanks to Solius Symbiosus for correcting me about these not being scolecodonts but instead conodonts.]

Every fossils is about 1-3 mm in length and have been magnified 20x.  Note they are also glued down to a slides so there is a residue in the background.