Snail Imprint in Bryozoan Fossil

 

These images show an interesting fossil combination. The fossil ensemble was found in the Kope Formation (Latonia (Eden) Shale) of Carroll County, Kentucky, USA. The main fossil appears to be a Prasapora simulatrix (Ulrich, 1886) bryozoan. The colony grew on top of the shell of a Hormotoma gracilis (Hall, 1847) gastropod. The imprint of the shell's spiral looks intact. These fossils existed in the Ordovician Period. I have found that when in an area with Kope Formation fossils that bryozoans tend to cover other fossils and preserve details on the fossils they cover. See the cephalopod fossil in this 2010 posting.

See more examples of Prasapora simulatrix bryozoan fossils:

http://www.drydredgers.org/thumb_by_bryozoan.htm#Prasapora

The Latonia Formation consists of three members: McMicken, Southgate, and Economy.

https://strata.uga.edu/cincy/strata/LithostratSystems.html

Fossils on the Family Grave Marker

 

After attending a funeral for my aunt today, I visited the family marker that shows the section where my grandparents are buried. The marker is made of Bedford(?) limestone. Time and the elements has eroded part of the surface revealing small crinoid stems and a cross section of a horn coral. Fossils date from Mississippian Period. Marker is in Clark County, Indiana USA.

Stink Bug Fossil

 

The picture is of a stink bug fossil. The specimen was found at Fossil Lake, Wyoming, USA. It existed in the Eocene Epoch about 54.8 to 33.7 million years ago. The fossil was on display in the Evolving Planet section of the Field Museum of Natural History in Chicago Illinois, USA as of August 2020. Accession number is PE 51408.