Saturday, September 4, 2010

Mawsonites spriggi (Jellyfish fossil?)

Fossil cast of Mawsonites spriggi thought to be a jellyfish imprint.  Found in South Australia and creature existed in the Late Neoproterozoic.  Fossil on display at Smithsonian Museum of Natural History on August 2010.

Learn more about it at Wikipedia.

Friday, September 3, 2010

Dizygocrinus indianensis Crinoid

The crinoid Dizygocrinus indianensis Lyon & Casseday probably of the Carboniferous Period found in Indiana.  Fossil is on display at the Smithsonian Museum of Natural History as of August 2010.

Their collections database lists a species as being found in Montgomery County, Indiana in the Osage Group (Keokuk Limestone).  In addition, it lists as from the Lower/Early Mississippian Period (USNM # S 5988).

Thursday, September 2, 2010

Talarocrinus patei Crinoids

A large plate showing Talarocrinus patei crinoids of the early Carboniferous Period found in Kentucky.  This plate is on display at the Smithsonian Museum of Natural History (as of August 2010). 

Their collections database shows a specimen of this species named by Miller & Gurley.  It identifies the location as Breckinridge County, Kentucky and the specimen of the Upper/Late Mississippian Period.  It was found in the Chester Group of the Ohara Limestone Formation.  The time periods do not match with the specimen pictured so it must be a different specimen.