Eurypterid Megalograptus ohioensis

On KYANA Geological Society's last trip to the Cincinnati Museum Geier Collection Center, one of our members Bill donated part of a fossilized eurypterid (sea scorpion). The piece is part of a eurypterid leg from the Upper Ordovician Period and was found near LaGrange, Kentucky.

I was not aware that such creatures roamed the ancient seas this close to Louisville, Kentucky. The fossil was found at least 25 years ago and pictures were sent to Dr. Kenneth Caster at the University of Cincinnati at that time. He replied back and noted that it appeared to be a Megalograptus ohioensis. He also said that it was only the 2nd record of that genus in the Cincinnatian Series. Dr. Caster also put this in his correspondence: "I suspect that the seemingly single series of comb-like spines on the distal portion is preservational in all likelihood: only the series of articulated spines on one side being preserved."

So if you are hunting the Ordovician Period fossil road cuts in this area, be on the look out for pieces like this.

Australian Fossils

Here are some more pictures of fossils found in southeast Australia by Bill.

I am guessing these first two are of maybe some sort of plant. It reminds me of a Sphenophyllum from the Pennsylvanian Period in the United States.

I am not sure what kind of fossil this is. It does not look like anything I find in my area. [UPDATE: I have been reading a booklet called Fossil Beds of the Falls of the Ohio from the Kentucky Geological Survey, 1993. On page 18 figure c, they have an image of a coral head that is in a shape similar to this fossil. It is described as "Ham-hock-shaped Favosites in bedrock in the wash area". The ones in these pictures look pretty worn but the large area was probably a lot of small corallites fanning radially out.

Is this some sort of stem (crinoid or plant)?

This fossil looks like a worn brachiopod. It reminds me of a Silurian Period brachiopod called Stegerhynchus.

Encrinuridae Encrinurus Trilobite

This is a really cool trilobite. Bill sent me this picture from some fossils he found in Australia.

What I find really interesting are the bumps on the cephalon and the protruding eyes. It appears to be an Encrinurus.