Rhipidomella hybrida Brachiopod

A well preserved fossilized shell half of a Rhipidomella hybrida brachiopod of the family Rhipidomellidae named by Schuchert in 1913.  The genus Rhipidomella named by Ochlert in 1890 and the species hybrida named by Sowerby.

This specimen is the only one I have found in the Middle Silurian period Waldron Shale of Clark County, Indiana.

Rhipidomella hybrida illustration

The Silurian Fauna of Kentucky

by August F. Foerste

Plate XXIII Figure 18

This brachiopod might be similar to the Dalejina hybrida (Dalejina = Mendacella) in the Rochester Shale of New York.

Syringothyrus texta Brachiopod

As Paleozoic brachiopods go, this is quite a large species.  One can see the ruler in the last picture showing this damaged specimen exceeding 6 cm in width.  Existing in the Mississippian Period, fossilized remains are found in the Borden Group and Spickert Knob Formation of Clark County, Indiana.  It is thought the identification of this fossil is Syringothyrus texta.

Thanks to Kenny for the fossil!

The Smithsonian National Museum of the Natural History has a display showing how various brachiopods anchored themselves to the sea floor.  See picture below illustrating the flat bottom of the Syringothyris textus.  This fossil is probably from the same locale as the one highlighted in this post.

Orthospirifer Internal View

Internal view of an Orthospirifer brachiopod fossil found in the Jeffersonville Limestone of Clark County, Indiana.  Animal existed in the Devonian Period.