Search the Community
Showing results for tags 'Mississippian'.
-
Every year, I take some time out to collect the Burlington Formation (Mississippian) of SE Iowa. It is about 70 ft thick in the area I hunt and the limestone is a coarse-grained rock made up mostly of crinoidal debris. Usually, my goal when visiting is to find nice examples of crinoids and brachiopods. But lately, I have taken interest in the primitive shark teeth that exist in the upper few feet of the Cedar Fork Member of the Burlington. So late summer, I threw five 25 lb rocks containing evidence of Chondrichthyan teeth into the back of my pickup to process this winter. Here is an example of a rocks I have yet to process. Notice the black specks on the surface. This is what shark material looks like. Most surface teeth are worn and not worth collecting. The pristine teeth are inside. So, the next step is to break the large rock into smaller pieces in hopes to find a keeper. I use a vice to break off pieces. If a hammer is used instead, the vibrations destroy many of the fragile specimens. Every small black specks must be explored to see if they are the tip of a nice tooth. 90% of the specks are nothing but fragments. But every tenth one makes investigation worthwhile! Junk: Junk: Success!!! So as not to overwhelm everyone, I am going to show my finds in a few different posts. Images of Burlington fish on line is marginal at best. Consequently I will provide more examples than I normally would. Here are a few teasers for today.
- 7 replies
-
- 8
-
-
- burlington
- fish
- (and 3 more)
-
I am in the process of identifying the Chondrichthyan teeth that I have been extracting from Burlington Limestone collected this summer. Here are my most confusing teeth that hopefully can receive identification from our forum experts. 1. 2. 3. Possibly a dermal denticle instead of a tooth? 4. 5 .
- 3 replies
-
- 3
-
-
- burlington formation
- chondrichthyan
- (and 2 more)
-
Here's a simple looking crinoid I'd like identified from the Edwardsville Formation. It's the crinoid in the center of the photograph. Two non-branching arms spring from each radial. The crown (calyx and arms exclusive of the stem) is about 5 cm long.
- 3 replies
-
- 2
-
-
- crinoid
- edwardsville formation
- (and 1 more)
-
West Virginia Mississippian subperiod: marine to mudflats
LoneRanger posted a topic in Fossil Hunting Trips
Took a day trip to Mississippian subperiod sites in West Virginia, with exposures that represent environments ranging from shallow marine to mudflats (reflecting periods of ocean transgression and regression). Of course there were brachiopods; the one photo of a brach below shows pink/light red coloration, and I've also posted this in the General Discussion section under "Fossil Shells with Color Patterns." I've never before found a brachiopod with shell coloration. There's also a photo of a sea pen (Pennatulacea, only right side is well exposed). And there is another photo of 2 matrix pieces with what may be tusk shells (scaphopods). The bottom scaphopod (?) is 4.5 inches, while the top one is more fragmentary and is 1.75 inches. If anyone has a different idea of what these are, please post your identification. Finally, as the ocean receded, mud flats appeared, and the final 2 photos show tracks of what are likely small crustaceans making their way across a long lost world.
- 3 replies
-
- 8
-
-
- brachiopod
- crustacean tracks
- (and 3 more)
-
Over the winter holidays I visited a couple of exposures of the Mississippian (Chesterian) Bangor Limestone in Alabama. I found a ton of really cool fossils, including a number of brachiopods. I was able to identify the vast majority of the brachiopods I found, but I struggled to identify the following. Does anyone recognize them? #3 and #4 look to me to be Composita sp. but the only species of Composita from the Bangor Limestone that I saw is Composita subquadrata and these did not seem to match. Any help would be greatly appreciated! #1 #2 #3 #4 #5
- 4 replies
-
- 2
-
-
- brachiopod
- id
- (and 1 more)
-
While uncovering chondrichthyan teeth from the Burlington fish layer, I have come upon many things I can not identify. In general, the only items having a dark color in this light colored matrix are fish parts. So my assumption is that they are fish oriented...... Here are some examples of items found that are likely not fish teeth. coprolites? Dermal denticles? Just taking stabs in the dark! @Coco, don't pick on me since my measuring stick is not seen well. I will add specimen size to each for you! 1. 2.0 by 1.2 cm 2. 1.5 by 2 cm 3. .8cm by 3.0cm 4. 1.5 by 1.2 cm 5. 1.0 by .5cm
-
These are two specimens I have found that I can’t confidently identify. I don’t know exactly where they are from but the sedimentary rock they are preserved in is likely from the Mississippian. I live in Northeast Alabama where there are quarries that extract shale and limestone from the Mississippian. Since I don’t know the exact locality they came from I cannot provide an exact time period. One is a white, wedge shaped fossil that I speculate might be a leaf. The other I am unsure of if it is even a fossil but it appears to be a fish, but it could just be crystals that formed in the shale.
-
Taxonomy from Lund 2000. Diagnosis for the genus Discoserra from Lund 2000, p. 180: "Teeth of the premaxilla, maxilla and dentary long, thin, and styliform. Posterior end of maxilla does not extend back to level of anterior margin of orbit. Parietals excluded from contact in dorsal midline by postrostral 2, which contacts supraoccipital. No transverse supratemporal commissure in supraoccipital. Two rows of paired bones over orbit. One to three interopercular bones; two to three small postspiraculars and a presupracleithrum. Branchiostegals very variable in size, number and shape. Dorsal ridge scales with small, forwardly facing hooks; two to three small anal fin hooks. Origin of anterior edge of dorsal fin set well below dorsal margin of ridge scales. All fins with well spaced rays; pelvic fin reduced, caudal fin rounded." Line drawing from Lund 2000, p. 183: Identified by oilshale using Lund 2000. References: R. Lund (2000) The new Actinopterygian order Guildayichthyiformes from the Lower Carboniferous of Montana (USA). Geodiversitas 22(2):171-206
-
- 3
-
-
- bear gulch
- big snowy group
- (and 6 more)
-
On my way home from Georgia today I decided to make a short stop at the Vienna, Illinois roadcut that is right off of I-24. The weather was nice, a balmy 52 degrees and I was out collecting without a jacket. I decided to stop for 20 minutes and see how many blastoids that I could find, but alas, I only found a small one. I did find the usual pieces that are found at the Mississippian roadcut- blastoid, brachiopods, horn coral, a crinoid basal plates, bryozoan, including Archimedes screw and a number of hash plates. I really do like to collect Mississippian hash plates, I think that they are really pretty. Here are a few of the finds-
- 6 replies
-
- 16
-
-
- blastoid
- brachiopods
- (and 3 more)
-
I’m hoping someone can identify this for me. I found it in the Tennessee River. (Mississippian/Tuscumbia Limestone) Thanks!
-
Can anyone tell me what is protruding from this small rock? Is it some type of coral? I found it by the Tennessee River. (Mississippian/Tuscumbia Limestone) Thanks!
-
Hi, I’m hoping someone can identify the larger fossil bits on this rock. I found it on the bank of the Tennessee River. (Mississippian/Tuscumbia Limestone) Thanks!
-
Hello, I found this small rock on the Tennessee River. (Mississippian/Tuscumbia Limestone) I’m hoping someone can tell me what all is in it. Thanks!
-
Hello, I’m hoping someone can tell me whether or not this is a crab pincer? If not, what could it be? I found it in Alabama on the Tennessee River. (Mississippian) Thanks!
-
Hello Everyone, I found this fabulous rock which is chock full of brachiopods on the bank of the Tennessee River today. When I first broke it open, the brachiopods were all relatively intact. Unfortunately, several split and/or started crumbling off while I was trying to gently clean off some of the river grime. I’m hoping someone can tell me the simplest way to go about cleaning/preserving these brachiopods with the least damage? Thanks!
- 2 replies
-
- 1
-
-
- alabama
- brachiopods
- (and 2 more)
-
Don't think I've posted these before. From (as near as I can tell) the Caballero Formation, lower Mississippian. North of Lake Valley, New Mexico. My best guesses are either Cupularostrum or Eumetria. Alas, I'm sometimes lucky if I get the right phylum. Also embarrassed myself with this on this particular trip: I breathlessly identified this as a really spectacular algal mound. Well, no; I had navigated up the wrong canyon, and in this geologically complex area, I wasn't even looking at sedimentary rock. This is spectacularly flow-banded rhyolite. If I can't tell a rhyolite from an algal mound, maybe I should just pack it in now ...
- 1 reply
-
- 3
-
-
-
- brachiopod
- caballero formation
- (and 1 more)
-
.thumb.JPG.d64a00de120fb553baacff5149461632.JPG)
Paleozoic Adventures in Kentucky and Tennessee October 2021
Jeffrey P posted a topic in Fossil Hunting Trips
Hi Everyone, In the latter half of last month I took a two week trip to Kentucky and Tennessee. My sister, her husband, two of her adult children, and my parents all live in the Elizabethtown/Louisville area and I was able to spend some quality time with them. Fossil collecting was also part of my agenda. Herb, my primary fossil collecting partner in Kentucky and I had a three day trip down to Tennessee planned. Before I went on that expedition, I was out with my brother-in-law driving around central Kentucky. He dropped me off for 20 minutes at the Upper Mississippian site at Wax where the Glen Dean Formation is exposed in a roadcut. I picked these up:
- 76 replies
-
- 13
-
-
- brachiopods
- bryozoans
- (and 10 more)
-
I collected this brachiopod showing part of the brachidium yesterday - quite rare to see in this area. It's partially silicified and I was thinking of perhaps etching it out a little further. It's also a good geopetal example, with sediment in the bottom (graded if you look closely), the remaining void above being filled with calcite that has helped preserve the brachidium. On checking my photos, I realised that there were some nice clear foraminifera, about 1mm across, which I haven't really noticed much before from this limestone. These photos are just of the rough surface, taken just submerged which reduces the surface bumpiness and allows better contrast (much better than just wetting it). I think I've managed to identify the two(?) types shown here though I'm very happy to be corrected! There are many more in there and I'm going to cut and polish some of it. Great Limestone, Pendleian, upper Mississippian. Weardale, Co. Durham, England. Scale in mm. (The first Endothyranopsis is at the top near the rule, and another is halfway between the 10 and the rock edge. See blowups below.) ?Endothyranopsis sp. The white blob to the left of the obvious specimen may be the same species seen at right angles to it. Palaeotextulariid - I looked at a few genera of these and they're hard to distinguish from each other in a random section. More palaeotextulariids - at least two specimens Another ?Endothyranopsis sp. (actually on the reverse of the rock). General view - it might be zoomable to see various forams and bits - this is how I was looking for them and it seemed to be easier than with my x20 binocular microscope. Some good burrows showing up as well, especially in the bottom half. Finally, a view under water of the brachiopod - shows some quite jazzy calcite around the brachidium. I'm not sure if there's more than one loop here or just crystals growing out from a loop axis. Sparry calcite in the middle.
- 12 replies
-
- 6
-
-
-
- brachidium
- brachiopod
- (and 4 more)
-
I found a new place to fossil hunt and it has many more fossils then the normal places I go. Lots and lots of coral, brachiopods, cephalopods, and crystallization. It honestly looks like a coral reef of some kind. I live in middle Tennessee and it's mostly Mississippian and ordovician in my area but there are some areas of Silurian-Devonian. I found this fossil first and thought it was some sort of larger cephalopod, but there were some strange things about it and I started to change my mind. It is a torpedo shaped fossil with crystallization. I will start with the pattern pictures first to show you what I mean and then I will post a picture of the whole thing with a size reference. There are spots distributed around it but they seem to be symmetrical on both "sides," some are clearer than others. There are scalloped edges on the "bottom" of it. There is also an upside down shaped V at the "front-bottom" of it that I think looks kind of like a fish jaw. I do realize that if this is a fish it is very rare for this time period, especially in this sort of shape. If you do believe it is a deteriorated cephalopod, if you could just explain the V shape and the spots, that would help me see it as well. Thanks
-
So far the dimensions of what's showing is 15.2mmx6mmx1.5mm & it's starting to curve back into the rock. With no sign of the end yet. I'm taking my time & investigating the piece after every couple scrapes. Whatever it is, it's not as hard as the surrounding material. I'm going to wait till I get a response before I do anymore. Just in case any of you think I should turn it over to a professional so I don't screw up whatever it is.
-
Hello everyone I have this strange little Brachiopod which i know nothing about. Its about just over 3/8th In. I don't know were its from, i got it from someone Can anyone tell me a possible ID and if it looks from a particular area. Is it Mississippian? Thank you
- 5 replies
-
- 1
-
-
- brachiopod
- mississippian
- (and 1 more)
-
I have been working with Mississippian age nautiloids in Kentucky for the past 40 years. Years ago I found two very complete specimens in the Nancy Member of the Borden Formation in a creek east of Morehead, Kentucky. The one was a small but very complete Orthoconic nautiloid of the genus Michelinoceras sp. which is commonly found in that area. The other was found very close to the other and at the time I thought it was another Michelinoceras sp. Recently I was looking at it and saw the shape was much different. Michelinoceras is very conical and the shape is very round to slightly oval with the Siphuncle in the center. The unknown specimen is also orthoconic and shows the living chamber and upper shell is just lightly oval similar to Michelinoceras sp. but the end of the shell thins on the sides to the shape of a Baculite shape. The specimen is highly replaced with calcite and the siphuncle is hard too determine. What may be the siphuncle is located at the upper part of what I think is the venter. If I am correct it would be a Bactritida type of nautiloid that were common in the Devonian. I have researched the treatise as well as many papers on Mississippian age cephalopods I can find. I am hoping someone may have ran across a similar specimen. The first and second picture is of the Michelinoceras sp. specimen. Approx. 4 inches long and typical Michelinoceras specimens. The rest of the picture are of the unknown specimen, the red circle is the area where I believe the siphuncle is located.
-
Here is a post prep picture of Platycrinites found on a early July fossil hunt in SE Iowa (see previous trip report). These crinoids have a columnar stem with a twisted pattern, making them very interesting. My daughter can't look at it without thinking tapeworm. I have to somewhat agree but still see the beauty in this crinoid!!
- 2 replies
-
- 8
-
-
- burlington
- mississippian
- (and 1 more)
-
Found these yesterday. Getting them out of the rock was a job. I was wore out afterward. https://imgur.com/a/wWGIEst I believe they are Phanocrinus.
-
Buried in Stone: Shores of Oklahoma lakes, rivers ideal for digging up fossils
Oxytropidoceras posted a topic in Fossil News
Buried in Stone: Shores of area lakes, rivers ideal for digging up fossils By Brian D. King, Tahlequah Daily, Oklahoma Yours, Paul H.-
- 1
-
-
- fort gibson lake
- lake tenkiller
- (and 4 more)
.thumb.JPG.d64a00de120fb553baacff5149461632.JPG)
