Sunday, December 19, 2021

Strophondonta crassa Brachiopod Fossil

Screening through a lot of micro material brought back from Alpena Michigan USA. This brachiopod fossil appears to be a Strophondonta crassa (Imbrie, 1959). It was found in the Potter Farm Formation and dates to Middle Devonian Period (Erian Age). The length is about 13 mm. The fossil shows signs of having a worm tube or snail attached to it. Also maybe an Aulopora coral in the bottom left part of the shell.

Thanks to Kenny for image and screen material to find fossil.

Thursday, December 9, 2021

Marrella splendens Arthropod Image

 

This image created by Doctor Elvira Wood and published in 1920 in The Appendages, Anatomy, and Relationships of Trilobites by Percy E. Raymond. It is of a Marrella splendens (Walcott, 1912) arthropod. Charles Doolittle Walcott collected it from the Burgess Shale of British Columbia, Canada in 1909. He described it as a "lace crab". It turns out it is not a trilobite or a crab. The creature lived in the Cambrian Period.

This image is not correct as you will see if go to the Wikipedia entry below to see more modern interpretations of what this animal looked like. Dr. Raymond was directing Dr. Wood how to illustrate this fossil. He writes on page 116, "The accompanying restoration of the ventral surface of Marrella is a tentative one, based on Doctor Walcott's description and figures. ... The restoration is therefore subject to revision as the species becomes better known."

Learn more at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marrella

Sunday, December 5, 2021

Hexagonaria Coral with Hederella Bryozoan Fossils

These pictures are of a Hexagonaria anna (Whitfield, 1973) coral fossil. It was found in the Bell Shale of the Traverse Group of Alpena, Michigan, USA. The coral lived in the Devonian Period. On the bottom of the coral is a small colony (3 cm long) of Hederella (Hall, 1883) bryozoans.