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Last week my friends and I stopped by Mineral Wells in Texas to do some fossil hunting and it was really fun! However, I'm not familiar with this type of fauna and I was wondering if anybody could help ID them for me. I think I got a decent representation of what is available at the site but there's definitely other fauna there that I didn't spot. The first group are bryozoans and they have this really cool texture on them. How easy is it to identify them to genus or species level? The second one on the first row was also really interesting. It's flatter but I'm not sure if that's the preservation and not what it looked like in life. The first one on the second row was really interesting as a bryozoan colony seemed to wrap around a crinoid stem! The second group are crinoids! I hadn't realized they were so diverse, although they were the most common fossil I encountered by far. This is the cross section of the first row. This is the cross section of the fourth row. The third one has a really neat pattern on it on the outside. And finally, the fifth row has a crinoid base(?) and what might be a small crinoid impression? Not entirely sure. The third group are shells. The variety of shapes was really cool. This first row are flat and rounded. Are these clams? These first two on the second row are extremely flat but have these knobs on the shell. These first two on the third row are very simple with a general slope. The last two on the second row have a really neat shape. They're concave on the inside as well. And the last two on the third row kinda remind me of little hats haha I also managed to find some snails(?). This first one was particularly tiny This larger one is unfortunately crushed. And these last two shells are super thin. The first one is a scallop(?) and one of my favorites shells I recovered because its complete with both halves! This next one is what I think is a nautiloid shell. Sort of reminds me of ones like baculites. Onto other inverts, I found a spine from an echinoderm. Sea urchin? And I was pretty excited to find two pieces of trilobites! I only found the hind parts but one of my friends found a head which was cool. Now to unknowns. This first one reminded me of a hybodont tooth but I wonder if its a crinoid piece. There's some texture on it that looks like the ones on the stem fragments. This second looks like a bryozoan but I wanted to make sure. These third ones have some really interesting shapes and texture and I have no idea what they are. This fourth one is a long fossil with a groove. There's a texture inside the groove but again, not sure what it is.

The water level in a close by river has been the lowest I've seen in years... we're definitely experiencing a climate shift here in Central Texas. Even with some recent rains, the river is not regaining its normal levels. While that is indeed a sad state of affairs, it has made for some good fossil hunting....sooooo....Silver lining? I have found 6 little tiny outcrops of the blue grey mud that I recognize as Del Rio Formation, a great surprise when this area is typically Georgetown Formation and Glen Rose Formation. So of course, I dug up ALL OF IT that I could. I've been back three times and I think I got it all! Kinda sad that I got it all though. It has provided some great hours of Micro hunting! I finally bought myself a little camp shovel! It has proved invaluable! These little patches have yielded some amazing fossil. They are chock full of the cormatulid crinoid Roveocrinus signatus. These are all around 3 mm or 3/16 inch They are very varied: My other favorite thing to find are the myriad of crab claws, and occasionally was lucky to find both digits together. All of these are around 1/8 inch Another favorite is of course....starfish! While I have yet to find the actual central body of the brittlestar Ophiuria sp. , I have found LOTS of bits of legs and individual parts. Not much ammonite stuff, but I did find something quite special - this little fragment of Anisoceras sp. And this little unidentified ammonite. I did find one whorl of the heteromorph ammonite Mariella (which are common in other Del Rio outcrops) but it was not well enough preserved to merit adding. Also a couple of not very well preserved shark teeth- probably Leptostyrax And of course, lots of tiny gastropods! Probably a Fusus sp. Gyrodes biangulata Nerinea volana Cerithium texana Unknown Gastro probably a Turritella of some sort and not a fossil, but a nice little Pyrite rose

Fishing for fossils might sound like a strange hobby, but I've discovered that it's the perfect combination of relaxation and excitement. Instead of reeling in fish, I'm reeling in ancient fossils from the Richelieu river. And while I might not have any fish tales to tell, I do have some great stories about my fossil-hunting adventures. It might not be the most conventional hobby, but it's certainly a fun one. And the best part? No fishing license required! The Lorraine Group is known for its abundance of fossils, which provides valuable information about the region's past environments and evolution. The fossils found in the Lorraine Group are mainly marine invertebrates, such as brachiopods, trilobites, bryozoans, crinoids, and gastropods. It is a geologic formation in the Canadian province of Quebec. It is part of the St. Lawrence Platform, which is a large region of sedimentary rocks that underlies much of eastern North America. The erosion of these formations over time creates a variety of rocks with different mineralogical characteristics, which can be found on the beaches in the area. The Lorraine Group is an important source of geological information about the history of the St. Lawrence Platform and the tectonic events that shaped it. These fossils, including crinoid and sowerbyella, offer a glimpse into the rich biodiversity of the area during the Ordovician period, and are estimated to be around 450 million years old. I had spent times meticulously photographing this sowerbyella I had found from the Richelieu river. When I finally found the perfect shot, I snapped the picture with satisfaction. But it wasn't until later, after I had added the picture to The Fossils Forum, that I noticed something small and unexpected in the upper right corner of the image. Upon closer inspection, I realized that two tiny gastropods had photobombed my perfect shot! These little intruders are a fun and quirky addition to the photo, and it gave me a great story to tell. After all, when you're fishing for fossils, you never know what unexpected surprises you might find along the way. I stumbled upon the remains of a previous campfire. As I looked closer, I noticed something white sticking out of the dark ash and debris - it was a coupe of bleached fossils! The colors and patterns of the fossils are truly beautiful, and provide a glimpse into the rich biodiversity of the area during the Ordovician period. I feel fortunate to have found these fossils and to be able to share them with you. I have a funny story to share about the day I took this picture, I was so focused on capturing the perfect shot of a crinoid fossil that I didn't notice the waves getting closer and closer. Suddenly, a wave came splashing on my running shoes, soaking my feet completely! Although it was a bit uncomfortable, I couldn't help but laugh at myself for getting so absorbed in my photography that I didn't even realize I was getting my feet wet. Despite getting my feet wet, I was determined to capture the stunning colors and patterns of these fossils, The diverse composition of the Lorraine Group's formations, with the Nicolet Formation being siliceous and the Pontgravé Formation being carbonate-rich, can explain the variety of rocks found on the beaches in the area. The erosion of these formations over time results in a mix of sediments with different mineralogical characteristics, creating a range of textures and colors in the rocks. These pictures were taken at the beginning of spring, after the winter erosion caused by ice and water waves, which creates a new harvest of fossils that are ready to be collected, with no preparation necessary. I found some really cool fossils! I was crouching down to take pictures of them when I noticed some other people walking by and giving me curious looks. I got a little self-conscious, but I decided to smile and explain to them that I was just taking pictures of the fossils. To my surprise, they seemed interested and even came over to take a closer look with me. We ended up having a nice conversation about the Lorraine Group formation and the abundance of fossils in the area. It was really cool to connect with some strangers over a shared interest, and I'm glad I didn't let my initial self-consciousness stop me from taking a closer look at those fossils! When I take pictures of fossils in bubbling water, it's a really exciting and fun experience. The water creates these amazing patterns and textures around the fossil, making the whole image really dynamic and cool to look at. But it's not always easy! Sometimes the water creates glare or reflections that can be distracting and hard to deal with. And because the water is always moving, it can be tricky to get a good, clear shot of the fossil. Despite the challenges, getting a great photo of a fossil in bubbling water is really rewarding. The water creates a sense of movement and energy around the ancient remains, which makes the photo feel really alive and vibrant. To get the perfect shot, I usually try different camera settings and angles until I find what works best. I'll use a polarizing filter to cut down on glare and improve clarity, and I'll often use a tripod and a slower shutter speed to capture the motion of the water while still keeping the fossil in sharp focus. The fossils that I've discovered are estimated to be around 450 million years old, and have been preserved in amazing detail. It's experiences like these that make me appreciate the beauty and power of nature even more. As someone who combines my passion for photography and fossil collecting, I was delighted to capture the stunning colors and patterns of these fossils. I had been carefully photographing some beautiful crinoid segments that I had found while fishing for fossils in the Richelieu river. I had finally found the perfect angle, when suddenly something appeared in my frame. It was a white feather that had drifted into the shot, obscuring part of my subject. At first, I was frustrated that my perfect shot had been ruined by this unexpected intruder. But then, I took a step back and looked at the composition as a whole. I realized that the feather actually added an interesting element to the photo, creating a sense of movement and adding a touch of whimsy. So instead of deleting the photo or trying to edit out the feather, I decided to keep it in the shot, embracing the unexpected twist that nature had thrown my way. And in the end, the photo was even more appealing and unique because of it. Despite the mishap, I managed to capture some stunning pictures of the fossils, including this sowerbyella, which I'm thrilled to share with you. The abundance of fossils in the Lorraine Group is a testament to the richness of marine life that existed in the region during the Paleozoic era. These fossils have contributed greatly to our understanding of the geological history of eastern North America and continue to be a valuable resource for scientists studying the evolution of life on Earth. To end my day, I couldn't resist capturing theses naturally formed ice sculptures in water , they can be incredibly appealing because they represent a unique and fleeting moment in time. These sculptures are created by the forces of nature, as water and ice interact in complex ways to form stunning and intricate shapes. Each sculpture is completely unique, shaped by the specific conditions of the water and the temperature at the time it was formed. This means that no two sculptures are ever exactly alike, making them a true work of art created by the natural world. Additionally, the way that light interacts with the ice can create a stunning visual effect, with the ice taking on a glittering and iridescent appearance that is truly mesmerizing to behold. Overall, naturally formed ice sculptures in water represent a beautiful and awe-inspiring aspect of the natural world, one that is both visually stunning and endlessly fascinating to explore. For more information about my hunting site, look at my previous post which took place during winter and autumn : The day I went fishing for fossils (part I) (winter) The day I went fishing for fossils (part II) (winter) The day I went fishing for fossils (part III) (autumn) The day I went fishing for fossils (part IV) (spring) Happy Fishing!

Hey all, Recently received this pair of crinoids in a trade. I have essentially zero experience with crinoids as my crinoids in my display before this consisted of just a few pieces of stem and a few inch long articulated stem. The information I have is: Crinoids Edwardsville Formation Mississippian Indiana My initial thoughts after searching online are: Macrocrinus mundulus for the tan one, and Lanecrinus depressus for the gray one Apologies for my lack of scientific terms here: I believe this to be Macrocrinus mundulus as there is this extra stalk, the tan coloration, and the thick defined plates. I believe this to be Lanecrinus depressus as it has the more "knotty" appearance, the gray coloration, and the more defined segmented arms. Any crinoid experts able to weigh in here? Does color help in IDing crinoids or is it more shape of plates, arms, and overall body plan that gives us the IDs?

Hello, forgive me if this question has already been answered. I found dozens of crinoids this last fall. They look great when wet, but when they dry they're dull and dirty looking. I've tried soaking them in soapy water and scrubbing with a toothbrush, but nothing spruces them up. I've also tried using vinegar given that the limestone doesn't fizzle, but it destroys the crinoid. Is there anything I can do to brighten or clean these things? The last two pictures are the crinoids when wet and the first is dry. Thanks for the help.

In 1995 (long ago...) a friend of mine and me digged at a highway-constructionsite in nw-germany. It was the Highway Nr. 2 between Gelsenkirchen and Gladbeck in famous Ruhrgebiet-Area. The construction site opens at a lenght of 3 km sandy sediments from middle Santonian, Zone of Uintacrinus socialis. We really found a lot..., beach sediments with everything from plants over echinoderms up to vertebrate fossils (some lang-living ones...), and stored it. Till now. Some weeks ago I started to clean, glue, sort..., to write a paper about it. Hope to finish in 2025, lot of work... I go to show piece by piece fossils from this site, might be one a day, might be one a week. depends. Start is a nice Cretalamna appendiculata, approx. 2 cm long, root is a little bit damaged.

On Monday I went on a little trip to one of my top secret places to fossil hunt on the shores of Lake Michigan. It's a small beach in Northeastern Cook County, Illinois which I've always found lots of Silurian aged fossils. (1) This trip was no different!! https://silurian-reef.fieldmuseum.org/narrative/392 I found a large amount of small but pretty interesting Silurian fossils which demonstrate the diversity of reef supported aquatic life in the Chicago land area 444 to 419 million year ago during the Silurian era! (2) (3) (4) (5) (6) (7) (8) (9) (10) (11) (12) (13) (14) (15) (16) (17) (18) (19) (20)

My husband and I went on a little "tour" of Mississippi on a three part "hunting" trip....for fossils, ancestors and ghosts. Before you get all grammatical, I didn't hunt my ancestors, but I did hunt for their gravesites. I have ancestry 7 generations back in the Natchez area of southern Mississippi and had been there a few times for family reunions while growing up. But it's been at least 35 years since I was last there. So we decided to make a little road trip around the state to visit not only my ancestors, but also a tour of as many Native American mounds as we could fit in the trip - from Vicksburg to Natchez (Emerald Mound and Grand Village) to Clarksdale (Winterville Mounds and the "Crossroads" if you are a blues fan) to Tupelo and back to Texas (via Toltec Mounds in Arkansas.) And of course, my husband did his ghost hunting (we always stay in haunted hotels and B&Bs- we both hunt old dead things....in our own way hahahah) and I did a little bit of Fossil hunting....not as much as I would have liked because THREE of my scouted spots were bunk. Nothing in two spots, just some busted oysters in a third spot. But I did make it to the Browning Fossil Park and while I was not exactly prepared for the very very cold and muddy waters, I did at least bring a hand shovel and a sieve so was able to get myself a half bucket of matrix to bring home to look at at my leisure. AND I found two little crinoids on the Mississippi river because it was historically low and you could walk out quite a ways. So here are some of my fossil finds and some random Mississippi pics for you to enjoy. My VERY BEST FIND: 1. Shark Odontaspis sp. 1/4 inch 2. I think this is a Scyliorhinus sp. but the tip curves WAY up, so I may be wrong on my ID. Size 1/8 inch 3. A few Sawfish Ptychotrygon triangularis 1/8 inch 4. Another Ray Top Row: Brachyrhizodus mcnultii Bottom Row: not sure...maybe fish tooth 5. More Fish Teeth: Top L: Hybodus or Pycnodonte, Top R: Xiphactinus sp Bottom L : Unknown Bottom R: Enchodus sp. 6. Top Row: Unknown...couldn't find any info. If anyone knows, please enlighten! Bottom Row: might be Barnacle Zeugmatolepas sp. ? 7. Top Row: I love these things...I'm guessing they are a worm tube of some kind Bottom Row: Echinoid Spine 8. I think the top row black one is a Crinoid...I thought it was a vertebra at first, but the ring on the outside makes me think crinoid...plus I did find the one little yellow crinoid. SO not a lot of finds, but I am happy with what I ended up with....at least I ended up with something! Here's the crinoid I found on the Mississippi river...it's a nice big one! the mighty Mississippi at sunset in Natchez a turtle at the cemetary our sharecroppers cabin in Clarksdale (The Shack Up Inn is a great place to say, y'all)

I was searching around a local stream when I found some limestone with dozens of crinoid stems. I can't say what the formation is as I think they rolled down a hillside which had foreign limestone blocks to prevent erosion. If they are native, they would be Pennsylvanian Glenshaw Formation. Each of them has stellate lumens and many have a pinkish hue. Can anyone tell me what variety of crinoid and is it possible to discern the period? Thanks.

Hi Everyone, Last month I took a trip from New York to Elizabethtown, Kentucky to attend my parents' 70th anniversary. My sister and her husband, two of her adult children, and my parents, both in their 90s have all resettled there. I try to visit them at least once per year, but my parents' 70th wedding anniversary could not be missed. It is a very long trip from the suburbs of New York City to E-Town and a stop along the way was the sensible thing to do, so I spent the night in Harrison, Ohio near the border with Indiana and only 15 minutes from St. Leon, the well known Ordovician roadcut. I've been there twice before. It is a huge outcrop, fossiliferous from top to bottom, with plenty to explore. With even a full day it is impossible to do justice to the site. As it was, I spent a half day. Most of you I'm guessing have been to or seen pictures of the roadcut. Here's a couple anyway:

Part two…looks like stems …Maybe, palm, cycad or fern? I guess another possibility is bone.. ?

Fall promises to be spectacular in many ways. If you dream of colors, you will like the following. I like fossil hunting in the fall, although it's not really hunting, the fossils are underwater so it's more like fishing. Anyway, this is one of my many trips to this place, it's not very far and it allows me to go for a weekend nature walk. This is Ordovician, the site is not as beautiful or rich in fossils as the other sites we see in this forum, but it is rich in brachiopods, crinoids, bryozoans and gastropods. This time, I chose a theme to showcase my special finds of the day. It's autumn in Quebec, we see all the colors! This year the province offers an extraordinary spectacle. Due to favorable conditions, autumn 2022 is marked by an extraordinary color season. This summer the trees have not been under great stress, which is favorable for an autumn with intense colors, the next few weeks should be just as much. Indeed, the season promises to be particularly hot and sufficiently sunny. According to the expert, clear nights will follow these beautiful days, which favors the coloring of the leaves. Enjoy! For more information about my hunting site, look at my previous post which took place during winter: The day I went fishing for fossils (part I) (winter) The day I went fishing for fossils (part II) (winter) This is my little special place were I go fishing for fossils

This is a Carnian aged natural association of Traumatocrinus crinoids, and either Trachyceras, or Neoprotrachyceras Ammonoids from Guanling Guizhou province China.

So, I was supposed to leave for the army and I tore a ligament in my knee. I took time off work and am now able to hobble around the shop. Feeling kinda down I went to alpena on Saturday hoping the rain would let up and what do ya know! It was sunny and cold by 10am. Here is a couple pics of my finds. I'll post more later!

I found these around the Kentucky lake area by Camden Tn.

Hello Everyone In June last year I went on a trip with my parents to the Late Ordovician / Early Silurian-aged Cotton Formation at the Cotton Hill quarry in Forbes. All relevant permission was obtained from the local council prior to attending. I have heard that the Fossil Club of Australia (formerly NSW) do trips here as a group as well, that's probably the easiest way to attend. I planned to post this in August, however due to Covid I didn’t have access to the fossils to take pictures. Also, I only just recently bought some macro equipment to take photos of the fossils which is why my post took so long. Be sure to zoom in on each photo as they are all highly detailed. (open in a new tab) For useful previous expeditions and information by others see: For those unaware, the fauna is dominated by Sinespinaspis markhami, a small odontopleurid trilobite. Unfortunately, I found no specimens with their free cheeks attached, nor did I find any specimens of the rarer Aulacopleura pogsoni or the even rarer Raphiophorus sandfordi. We had two days of digging, and the temperature was a cool 14-15C on both days, but once the sun came out and with long-sleeve shirt and pants on, we definitely started sweating. As soon as we got out of the car, I found a partial trilobite negative lying on the ground. It was 8mm long and looked like it was left behind by another fossicker. Once we realised where the designated fossicking area was (back near the road entrance, and not in front of the parking area) we could start properly searching for fossils. The first ones we found were on the surface on the westernmost boundary. It’s amazing how big the actual site is. Considering how deep the hole in the ground is, there probably would’ve been thousands or millions of fossils unearthed and used in road material over the years. Both the plates seem to be death assemblages, with hundreds of “trilo-bits” on them along with what looks like tiny shells. When I got home, I wanted to split the L-shaped to expose more of the second layer (you can see one set of cold chisel marks) but the matrix must have been unstable as it cracked into five pieces and exploded. It did set free a new trilobite though, which is cool.

I'm trying to get to one Oxford Clay site pretty frequently, and it did not disappoint. I found my best gastropods from the site this weekend. I thought I had found two pieces of crinoid, but when I got home found it was four. More ammonite as well. Even better, I managed to not bring home any living creatures. Last time I had a caterpillar clinging to an ammonite.

It's been a sunny and very, very cold day. Most of the finds at the Yaxley site are small and intricate, lots of crinoid ossicles. What pops depends a lot on the weather conditions - today I found a lot of lighter coloured fossils, including my first coprolite from this site. There are a few I think I'll ask for help to ID.

I collected some crinoid columnals and a horn coral....weathered from the Devonian Keyser Formation limestone in Pennsylvania. As usual, preservation is not very good.

The Paleontological Society of Austin did our annual field trip out to Brownwood Texas. It was a beautiful day for collecting. Super blue sky and temps starting in the 50s and warming to the 80s. This site is so big that I have not even begun to explore all of it so decided to head to a different area than I had previously collected in. Walking toward the back I had my first nice find - a lovely little crinoid calyx, just shining in the dirt! Next find was what I HOPED was a complete Neospirifer, but sadly, the underside was not so good. Still nice though When I got to the back, there is a lovely little pond surround by the cliffs of this old quarry. Found a "non fossil" My first "best" find of the day was this partial Petalodus tooth. So far I have only found partials, but this is the best one so far, at least it has the tip of the tooth! And the texture is just lovely. It's a nice size too, just over one inch: and then I found this little piece. I almost didn't pick it up because it didn't look like much. I thought it might be another chunk of a Petalodus and actually almost left it there. But I then went back and said what the heck, even a partial is good. AND I AM GLAD I DID GO BACK!! Because upon photographing and being able to see better detail....I'm pretty sure it is Deltodus tooth! Another Pennsylvanian shark that I had seen a few picture of but not one in real life. So I am super happy with my "almost got away" story! hahhaha! It is also 1 inch A few more of my favorite finds from the day: Echinoid plate Bryozoan Crinoid Crinoid: And I posted this on my Fossil a Day thread but here it is again. All of these colors of crinoids are found here. That just ever ceases to amaze me! I am already looking forward to my next trip there!

My first post was so popular that I decided to do a second. I went to the same place, and found more many rich and colorful fossils, and got enough material to write to you about it. For those who missed my first post, you will find it HERE As you will see in this article, I combine my two passions, collecting fossils and color photography. I love color, creating black and white photographs of fossils is good for scientific research, when you are a paleontologist and want to record the small details for science and posterity. But for people who are just starting to explore the world of fossils, we need something more inspiring, because to be fair, fossil photos are generally drab, and generally unappealing to the general public. Not that fossil collectors don't take great photos, I see fantastic photos all the time on TFF, but usually in a different context. I'm just trying to be a little different and take a picture of the fossils as I see them, in their natural environment. Maybe this will inspire the next generation of fossils collectors. This site is part of the Lorraine group (Chambly sub-formation). It contains the most recent sedimentary rock in the region, a series of clay and limestone schists that are redder towards the top. It's made up of clay schists, a sedimentary rocks of dynamic origin, formed by the splitting of existing rocks and calcareous schists, a sedimentary rocks formed by the accumulation of animal or plant matter in bodies of water. This region also bears the marks of the Quaternary geological era. Immediately after the last ice age, the whole St. Lawrence Valley and its waterways became a vast inland sea (the Champlain Sea) that stretched as far as today's Lake Champlain. The site is not as gorgeous or rich in fossils as the other sites we see in this forum, but it is rich in brachiopods, crinoids, bryozoans, and a few gastropods. Sorry @Kane no trilobites. Here are some photos to give you an idea of the site, it's a small beach where the fossils are underwater, so I'm literarily fishing for fossils. The formation is made up of many colorful stairs and steps leading to the water's edge. Like a time machine, each step takes you back a thousand years, where you can discover at each staircase the remains of a thriving fauna, long extinct. Don't expect to see anything bigger than a few inches, this is the Late Ordovician historically rock formation in the Richelieu River Valley in the St. Lawrence Lowlands rests on sedimentary rocks. which are some 450 million years old and formed during the Cambrian Period of the Paleozoic Era. I was able to photograph this hash plate full of sowerbyella at that special moment, when the water was receding after a previous wave. This is not a painting, just a photograph of what typical Ordovician fauna might have looked like 500 million years ago, almost as if we were there. I try to keep my hand dry and out of the freezing water, picking up the fossils between two waves, leaving the fossils out of the water. It was difficult to photograph the fossils underwater, because of the waves I took the photo at a time when the water was calmer and just before a wave came crashing on it. A lonely sowerbyella taking her beauty bath I found bi_valve playing hide and seek, with the bubbles A lot of times I hear that fossil and water aren't a good mix, but in my case it's a perfect match. The water acts as a sort of magical act, bringing these 450 million year old fossils back to life, infusing them with vibrant colors and hiding the passage of time. These normally terness fossils have a second life in this freezing water, small imperfections are hidden, making the texture smooth and lustrous, with beautiful vibrant colors. In homage of the Beatles, I call this one the Yellow Submarine Some brachiopod pile up over each other, I don't know what cause this rainbow of colors, the diffraction, the translucidities' of the fossils. Whatever the reason, it's a beautiful effect and a total surprise. A colorful brachiopod on a colorful rock I really like the contrast of theses two plate Don't need to search, no fossil here. Just a color full formation. Crinoid columnals are the most commonly recognized crinoid fossils, they are individual pieces of the column, or stalk, these resemble small washers. Olympic logos gone wild or Crinoid columnals, you choses. I particularly like the circles with a small star inside Columnals are joined together in life by elastic ligaments and skin. However, when the animal dies these soft tissues quickly decay and the stem break apart into individual ossicles, they leave behind a great many fossils. After the crashing waves, they sometimes cover themselves with air bubbles, giving this strange old world a new dimension. The hole in the center of the columnal is called the axial canal. It is most commonly round but may also be pentagonal or star-shaped, like this 1 millimeter fossil. Despite their small size some fossils can still be the star of the show. Bryozoans consist of a skeletal structure of calcium carbonate that has numerous tiny holes or openings dotting the surface. These holes once housed individual bryozoan animals called zooids, that derived their nutrients from the seawater. Atlas Of Ancient Life I found this briozoma all alone on this big boulder, strangely it comes out of the rock and comes back in right away. This is another bryozoan, it was on a smaller rock and I was able to collect it for my collection Most colonies were only a few inches in diameter but a colony of an Ordovician form found in the Cincinnati region ( Florence, Kentucky) is more than 26 inches in diameter and is one of the largest known bryozoan colonies. I really like this formation for it's richness of colors Photo taken in direct sunlight of a wet bi-valve Again, mother nature was playing with ice producing these wonderful sculptures everywhere we look. It was such a nice day, I couldn't resist taking some in picture. See other Ice sculpture Here. Crinoid columnals trapped under translucent ice. I found all theses fossils in just haft a day at that very special place. For those of you that did not see my previous post about my first fossil fishing trip, your in luck because it is still available HERE.

Well it has finally opened to the public on December 4rth. "The new Dawn of Life Gallery" at The ROM is perhaps the best gallery on the planet covering the earliest life to the emergence of land dwelling creatures. I was fortunate to have a tiny part in the new gallery having prepared a number of the museums specimens and also having donated and sold them some pieces . Here is a tiny taste of what you can see in the new gallery. It will not disappoint.

Hi everybody, I'm a neophyte to the geological realm (especially regarding paleontology), but I thought I'd share some finds on the forum. In Layman's terms, I found some clams, possibly some coral, and (...wait I know this one) Crinoids! Any possible fossil ID would be great, happy to be here, and glad to join a community with similar interests! All items below were found within 100-200 yards of each-other on the Meramec river just outside of St. Louis, Missouri. 1) 2) 3) 4) 5) 6) 7) 8) 9) 10) 11) Artifacts: