Archaeocidaris? Echinoid Fossil

 

These fossil fragments might have once been an Archaeocidaris (McCoy, 1844) echinoid. It lived a Mississippian Period sea in what is now Washington County, Indiana USA. Note the hexagonal plates and spines.

Thanks to Kenny for the picture.

Return to Childhood Fossil Collecting Site

 

Last weekend I got a chance to visit my cousin Steven who lives on the road I grew up on. A small creek flows through this area that I spent many, many hours playing, exploring and observing this aquatic trail. While the creek was partially frozen over, I did see a number of crinoid and brachiopod fossils. Memories of crinoid columns being found are what I remember, at the time I thought they were fossilized plant stems. Below is the picture of brachiopod and fossils in a rock slab. Fossil dates to the Mississippian Period.

Part of Bumastus Trilobite Fossil

Bumastus niagarensis (Whitfield, 1879) trilobite pygidium fossil found in the Waldron Shale of Clark County, Indiana USA. It dates to the Silurian Period (Wenlock Epoch, Sheinwoodian to Homerian Stages). Species was originally named by  R. P. (Robert Parr) Whitfield (1828-1910) as Illaenus niagarensis in the Annual Report of Geological Survey of Wisconsin for 1879, 1880 page 68.

I came across a number of these fossils in my Waldron Shale box while looking for brachiopod fossils to send off to another collector.