Cincyevolution Website

I found the website for the Cincinnati Museum Center so I decided to quote their own words to describe it. Hopefully, they will start posting some of their fossil images soon.

"Welcome to this introduction to science and natural history at Cincinnati Museum Center. This is the gateway to field and collection-based research in the departments of invertebrate and vertebrate paleontology and zoology and a portal to information on education, conservation and research at the Richard and Lucile Durrell Edge of Appalachia Preserve System. Click on the links above to visit the sites for each department."

http://cincyevolution.com/Cincyevolution/Welcome.html

I have been waiting to see a better picture of their Cladoselache Devonian shark fossil:
http://cincyevolution.com/vertpaleo/Vertebrate_Paleontology/Chondrichthyes.html

Also the Dry Dredgers profiled a recently published book on Ordovician fossils from Canada the seems to cover some found in the Kentucky area. It is called SOUTH-CENTRAL ONTARIO FOSSILS: A Guide to the Ancient Marine Life of the Region by William A. Hessin.

See this website for more details: http://www.eagle.ca/~ontariofossils/

Unknown Devonian Brachiopod

UPDATE: I originally posted this as a clam but Howard set me straight pointing out this is probably a brachiopod. After more research this appears to be an Athyris spiriferoides (Eaton). I used this picture to help with this identification: http://www.paleoportal.org/index.php?globalnav=fossil_gallery&sectionnav=detail&submission_id=1260&taxon_id=&state_id=&period_id=13&assemblage_id=&last_section=search This website shows a list of the species found in the limestone layers of my area: http://www.indiana.edu/~libgeol/reprints/campbell.html

Here is an unidentified brachiopod I found recently. On this particular trip, I found maybe six clam fossils at this Clark County, Indiana location. I could identify the others except this one which I originally thought was a clam. This profile is one I am pretty sure I have not seen before. It is Devonian Period and appears to be from the Beechwood Limestone. It might be a Grammysia gibbosa (aka Grammysoidea secunda). Finding pictures of some of these species is not easy!

Here is our caravan leaving the fossil collecting location. The clouds are really out!



The arrows point out an interesting feature on this fossil shell. Look at the ridge lines that protrude away from it. I am not sure if these were there and fossilized or material just eroded away to form these patterns.

Devonian Period Phacops Trilobite

The following are some trilobite fossil pictures taken using a glass plate to eliminate shadow. The lighting could be better and my background cloth is a little wrinkled. I did not set up the light box but instead used a much more primitive setup.

The fossils were found in Clark County, Indiana. They are from the Devonian Period.

This first three images are of the same fossil. It is one of the better specimens I found that day. The Phacops rana trilobite is a little over 2 cm wide. It is possible the whole trilobite is intact. The pygidium and lower thorax are partially covered by matrix. I will try air abrasion cleaning at a later date. Unfortunately, the compound lens of the trilobites eye are gone from one side. I count 8 thorax segments visible.




Welcome to the land of fossils in Clark County, Indiana. This rock layer might be Jeffersonville Limestone. Beautiful day to collect!


Phacops rana cephalon that is probably a molt. Two views of the same fossil.


Fragment of a Phacops rana cephalon that seems to have a bit of black maganese on it.


Upside down cephalon embedded in matrix. This trilobite is probably a Phacops rana.