Saturday, July 19, 2008

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.

Friday, July 18, 2008

Ordovician Pelecypod

Here are the remains of a pelecypod and maybe another in a reddish-gold pyrite.

The pelecypod was found in Ordovician rock on Bardstown Road near Mt. Washington. It might be genus Byssonychia. The book Ohio Fossils Bulletin 54 from the Ohio Geological Survey in 1955 lists a number of species for Ordovician pelecypods: Byssonychia radiata, Byssonychia grandis, Anomalodonta gigantea, and Opisthoptera.

UPDATED: In the odd world of geology/paleontology, the name I used has been changed. Byssonychia has been changed to Ambonychia.

See this site for more information:
http://www.uga.edu/strata/cincy/fauna/bivalvia/Ambonychia.html





Straight Shelled Nautiloid Cephalopods

Here are some molds of cephalopod shells found in Ordovician rock off of Bardstown Road near Mt. Washington, Kentucky. Maybe they are of the genus Orthoceras (maybe an old name) or Treptoceras.

More information about cephalopods found in Kentucky can be found at: http://www.uky.edu/KGS/fossils/cephalopods.htm