Thursday, October 13, 2016

Palaeorhynchus deshayesi Fish Fossil Plate


Images of fossil fish plate outside the entrance to the Galerie de Minéralogie et de Géologie which is part of the Muséum national d’histoire naturelle of Paris France. The fossils are identified as Palaeorhynchus deshayesi. They are also known as Hemirhynchus (type of sailfish).



According to the Association des Géologues du Bassin de Paris Facebook page,  Stanislas-Étienne Meunier (1843-1925) published a discovery of these fossil fish 1872. They were found Puteaux limestone Seine near Paris, France.


Wednesday, October 12, 2016

Asterosoma Trace Fossils


Today's post is a very interesting set of fossils which I initially did not know what they were. I received an e-mail from the granddaughter of a person who found these specimens in the Estill County, Kentucky  USA.

Luckily, Dave at Views of the Mahantango blog was able to identify them as Asterosoma sp., a worm/shrimp? burrow trace fossil.





They appear to be from the Breathitt Formation of Pennsylvanian Period.

Thanks to Tamara for letting me post these pictures.

Learn more:
Post about them on Fossil Forum: http://www.thefossilforum.com/index.php?/topic/28148-star-shaped-trace-fossils/

Info on the Arkansas Geological Survey blog: https://arkansasgeological.wordpress.com/tag/asterosoma/

Geology of Estill County, Kentucky: http://www.uky.edu/KGS/water/library/gwatlas/Estill/Geology.htm

Sunday, October 9, 2016

Pterotocrinus acutus Crinoid Fossil


The fossil pictured appears to be a Pterotocrinus acutus (Wetherby, 1879) crinoid calyx. It was found in the Glen Dean Formation of Grayson County, Kentucky, USA. The fossil is almost 3 cm wide and a view from the top shows pinnules. This animal dates to Chesterian, Upper Mississippian Period.


Thanks to Kenny for the image.

See more images of crinoids like this at Don R. Chesnut's web page on fossils of the Sloans Valley Member (Paragon Formation).