Florissant Formation Snout Beetle Fossil

This image shows an insect fossil found in the Florissant Formation of Teller County, Colorado, USA. It dates to the Eocene Epoch of the Paleogene Period. Thanks to Kenny for the matrix plate. I split the plate and then used the microscope find it. The fossil split in two so there is an  image of each side. The image below is of the plate before it was split (about 10 cm wide). The actual fossil is about 3.54 mm long. My original guess and posting was this fossil was some sort of seed pod or flower bud. Afterwards, my cousin Kenny identified it as a snout beetle or weevil of the Order Coleoptera, Family Curculionidae.

Almost Intact Bumastus niagarensis Trilobite Fossil

When I was active hunting the Waldron Shale for its treasured fossils, one I hoped to find was an intact Bumastus niagarensis (Whitfield, 1879) trilobite. This image is of a mostly intact trilobite (60-70%) and the pygidium on another one. As far as I know, no fully intact Bumastus trilobites have been found in the Waldron Shale of Indiana. Looking at this one, it was probably intact at the quarry and was damaged when dug up or moved so it gives me hope in the future a full one will be found.

It dates to the Silurian Period (Wenlock Epoch, Sheinwoodian to Homerian Stages). My cousin Kenny found it in Clark County, Indiana, USA. Very nice find, so close to being a complete specimen.

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.

Schuchertella subplana Brachiopod Fossil

This brachiopod fossil appears to be a Schuchertella subplana (Conrad, 1842). It was found the Osgood Formation at Napoleon Quarry in Ripley County Indiana USA. It dates to the Silurian Period .(Telychian to Sheinwoodian Stage).

I used The Silurian Fauna of Kentucky by August F. Foerste (1862-1936) for a list of fossils found in the Osgood Formation and Waldron Shale to narrow down the species. It can be found at http://www.uky.edu/OtherOrgs/KPS/poky/pages/pokych03.htm Plate XXIII figure 14. Learn more about Mr. Foerste at the very informative blog Fossils and Other Living Things entry on December 2019.

Species first documented by T. A. (Timothy Abbott) Conrad (1803-1877) in 1842 in the Observations on the Silurian and Devonian systems of the United Sates, with descriptions of new Organic Remains in Journal Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia volume VIII, page 258. A scan can be found at https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/item/79280#page/253/mode/thumb

This fossil has some similarities to a Coolinia subplana brachiopod fossil Dave at Views of the Mahantango blog found in the same Osgood Formation in 2011.
http://viewsofthemahantango.blogspot.com/2011/09/fardenia-subplana-from-waldron-shale.html