Dakoticancer Crab Fossils

This fossil appears to be a Dakoticancer crab fossil found in the Coon Creek Formation of Mississippi or Tennessee, USA. The animals lived in the Cretaceous Period along with mosasaurs and plesiosaurs. Thanks to Mary Ann for finding these fossils and to Kenny who is prepping the fossils. There are 3 different specimens shown in the following pictures.

Louisville Coral Fossil Exhibit

A new display case at the Falls of the Ohio State Park has been unveiled with a variety of Silurian and Devonian coral fossils from around the Louisville Kentucky area. My cousin Kenny Popp has loaned them to the park for a temporary exhibit. A lot of the specimens are museum grade and took quite a bit of time to prepare for display.

The fossil shown in the picture below (gray one on the left) took weeks to extract using gallons and gallons of acid.

If you are in the Louisville Kentucky area consider visiting the Falls of the Ohio State Park and seeing this display.

Unprepped Silurian Crinoid Holdfast

This crinoid holdfast is maybe the most extensive one I have every found. It is still quite embedded in Waldron Shale matrix but the large number of roots are exposed. Somewhat amazing how much this animal has such similar characteristics to that of a plant. While not able to make an exact identification it appears to be the holdfast of an Eucalyptocrinus of the Silurian Period. Fossil found in Clark County, Indiana, USA.

On the other side of the matrix piece, this smaller holdfast was found that appears to be like a large tap root with small branches coming off it.

Identification is based off of images of Eucalyptocrinus roots (holdfasts) from illustrations from Plate 19 (Figures 6-7) Indiana Department of Geology and Natural History Eleventh Annual Report John Collett State Geologist 1881.

Also plate 20 shown below.