Platyrachella Devonian Brachiopod

Look at the wingspan on this fossil brachiopod, it is not fully intact yet measures about 7 cm. Yeah baby!

This brachiopod is a Platyrachella sp. found in the Cedar Valley formation of Benton County, Iowa. It lived in the Middle Devonian period. This is one large Devonian brachiopod that I have not found an equivalent genus to in the fossils of the local Jeffersonville or Silver Creek limestones.

The brachiopod was photographed wet and was cleaned with a Dremel tool - stainless steel rotary brush and Dremel engraver 1-2.5 settings.

This fossil was bought from eBay seller timfossil2001 who has some nice deals on Minnesota and Iowa fossils: http://www.ebay.com/sch/timfossil2001/m.html?item=370559137286&viewitem=&_trksid=p4340.l2562

Acrocyathus Mississippian Fossil Coral

These rugose coral fossils were found in Floyd County, Indiana in the St. Louis Limestone.  This limestone dates back to the Middle Mississippian (Carboniferous) period.  The corals appear to be Acrocyathus floriformis? also referred to as Lithostronchia or Lithostrotion or Lithostrotionella. These coral fossils also are found in Kentucky, Missouri, West Virginia, and maybe Alabama. Thanks to Alan for help with identification.

See a Lithostronchia specimen on the KYANA Geological Society web site: CLICK HERE

UPDATE (2019-06-15): website link below has changed to this: http://www.uky.edu/KGS/fossils/fossil-coral-rugose-corals-mound-shape.php

Learn more at the Kentucky Geological Survey web site: http://www.uky.edu/KGS/fossils/rugosecolonial3.htm

See other Lithostrotion corals on Plates XXXVI and XXXVII: CLICK HERE

Cirroceras nebrascense Ammonite

The Cirroceras nebrascense ammonite fossil displayed at the Carnegie Museum of Natural History in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania (July 2011). This fossil was probably found in South Dakota.  The creature swam the Western Interior seas of the Upper Cretaceous (Mesozoic Era).  Its Carnegie museum accession number is CM 29908.

Visit the Carnegie museum web site:  http://www.carnegiemnh.org/

View another specimen at the U.S. National Museum of Natural History: CLICK HERE