L Shaped Heliophyllum Horn Coral

This small horn coral demonstrates the rough events that can occur on the sea floor.  The Heliophyllum coral started growing up toward the feeder currents and it was then pushed over.  Not being deterred by its horizontal predicament the coral rotated about 90 degrees and started growing toward the feeder currents again.

Coral was found in Jeffersonville limestone of Clark County, Indiana which formed during the Devonian period.

Unprepped Aulopora Coral Fossils

This blog posting highlights four fossil specimens of unprepared Aulopora coral found in the Silver Creek Limestone of Clark County, Indiana.  The first picture shows the most extensive colony that attached to a spirifer brachiopod.  It should make a nice display fossil once the sand abrasive cleaner has processed its surface. 

Earlier this year, I read about an Aulopora fossil on the Wooster College in Ohio blog in which the author talks about the protocorallite (the origin of the colony).  I am hoping to find origin points on some of these specimens.

Devonian Megastrophia Brachiopod

One of the largest of the Devonian period brachiopods a person can find in the limestones of Clark County, Indiana.  This specimen appears to be from the Silver Creek layer.  One side of the specimen has broken off but the top and bottom sections of the brachiopod appear to be in place.  The fossil is a little over 5 cm wide.  A matting bryozoan was growing over part of the shell.  The engraver should be able to remove matrix on the bottom half of the fossil.

Dave at Views of the Mahantango fossil blog recently wrote about this genus found in the Silica Shale.