New York State Museum

The New York State Museum was founded in 1836 as part of the State Geological and Natural History Survey.  According to their web site, over three quarters of million people visit each year and over 12,000,000 specimens in their collections. 

The museum has a rich history whose foundation was formed by geologists and naturalists of the 1800s (see their History of the Museum web site for details).  My cousin Kenny recently visited this museum and gave me some pictures he took.  He commented that it is an amazing place but the fossil displays had some areas of low lighting.  That being said, the museum has announced they have the designs finished for the updated natural history section of the museum.

New York state has lots of diverse fossil exposures.  The diversity of fossils allows the museum to have some great displays.  Here are some of them.

Cohoes Mastodon - Found 1866

Eurypterus

Eospermatopteris - early land plant Devonian

Colpodexylon deatsii - early late Devonian

Climactichnites fossil tracks - Cambrian

Nephriticeras - Devonian Hamilton Sea

Coelophysis of the Late Triassic

Billion Year Old Stromatolites

Mineral Gallery

Catellocaula vallata Borings

This interesting plate shows a fossil bryozoan with what appear to be trace fossil path on it.  The little cross or star patterns were thought to be an animal (tunicate?) known as Catellocaula vallata.   This specimen is from the Ordovician Kope Formation of probably Carroll County, Kentucky.  My friend Mary Ann found this and Kenny took the pictures.  It is a nice find.

Learn more at Bill Heimbrock's xFossils site with the particular page covering Ron Fine's fossils [see Item #2 on this page].

Ischadites Sponge Fossil

This small fossil appears to be a sponge called Ischadites sp. in the order of Receptaculitida.  It was found in the Waldon Shale of Clark County, Indiana.  The creature existed in the Silurian Period.

Go to this LINK to see an article as to whether is creature is a sponge or a plant. A picture of an Ischadites barrandei can be seen there as well.  This LINK shows an illustration of an Ischadites koenigi.

Last picture is a sponge fossil that Kenny found.  Thanks for sending me the picture.

Thanks to Herb for the fossil identification.