Jurassic Period Acanthoteuthis

This squid fossil found in Germany lived in the late Jurassic Period (145-140 million years ago).  The prominent cephalopod in the Mesozoic Era were the ammonites but today squids dominate the seas.  This fossil has been identified as an Acanthoteuthis sp.  It is displayed at the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History in Washington D.C. (August 2010).

Parkinsonia dorsetensis Ammonite

Parkinsonia dorsetensis ammonite fossil found in England.  The creature lived in middle Jurassic Period (174-164 million years ago).  Specimen on display at the Smithsonian Museum of Natural History (August 2010).

Eucalyptocrinus elrodi Calyx

Bottom of an Eucalyptocrinus elrodi (Miller, 1891) crinoid calyx with a partial covering of pyrite crystals.  Found in the Waldron Shale of Clark County, Indiana.  This crinoid existed in the Middle Silurian Period.

See a prepared E. elrodi  found in St. Paul, Indiana at Crinus's fossil web site.

See more examples of this species at the Weeks Trilobite site.

This particular species is not quite as common as the Eucalyptocrinus crassus which is an index fossil for this formation.

See the Weeks Trilobite web site for more examples of the Eucalyptocrinites crassus.

Crinus fossil web site also has an E. crassus pictured found in Sellersburg, Indiana as well as a holdfast found in Waldron, Indiana.

This fossil was sandblasted -- thanks Kenny!