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Here are some of the various genera of fusulinids present in the Midcontinent Pennsylvanian. I must admit I have no idea how to examine these to identify them down to the gereric level. Instead, I 'cheat' by poring through publications and finding certain stratigrapic horizons -- sometimes at specific localities -- that are dominated by one type of fusulinid. After that, all I have to do is show up and collect chunks of limestone or shale. Eowaeringella ultimata Bethany Falls Limestone (Missourian) Clay County, Missouri Loose: In matrix: Beedeina sp. (girtyi?) (edit: Some Fusulina have been reassigned to Beedeina) Higginsville Formation (Marmaton Group, Desmoinesian) Henry County, Missouri Loose: Beedeina sp. Higginsville Formation Bates County, Missouri In matrix: Kansanella tenuis Island Creek Shale (Missourian) Stanley, Kansas Loose: In matrix:

Several years ago, while hiking over a dam in eastern Kansas--which revealed abundant aggregate obviously quarried from the local Late Pennsylvanian Shawnee Group limestone--I happened to spot abundant, quite showy fusulinids among the chunks of riprap. I managed to secure two or three representative hand-sized samples. Not so sure I should have been doing this, actually...state property (perhaps even federal, come to think of it) and all; but, what the heck I reckon in retrospect. It was a one-off collecting experience along that dam. A photograph of one of those samples I've included herein. The fusulinds are Triticites, I'm fairly certain. In some respects, to my eye anyway, they certainly rival the justifiably world-famous Triticites fusulinids from the Kansas Upper Pennsylvanian Beil Limestone. True, these don't demonstrate the uniform cute "plumpness" of the Beil specimens, or the outrageous engorged profusion of fusulinid tests so evident in the Beil, but--wow--the examples I collected during that lone hike over that dam sure dazzle, to my eye anyhow. And here's where a mystery begins. What geologic rock formation did they come from? Some rather involved internet research disclosed that most of the aggregate/riprap used for that dam came from the Upper Pennsylvanian Clay Creek Limestone--but, the brownish coloration makes me think of the geologically older Upper Pennsylvanian Toronto Limestone of the Shawnee Group (which has also been quarried extensively for aggregate in eastern Kansas). Anyhow, if anybody recognizes the specific eastern Kansas geologic rock unit that produces such distinctively preserved fusulinids, be sure to let me know. I never did run across any surface, or even quarry, exposures that resembled this kind of fusulinid occurrence in eastern Kansas.

Because I now have a semi-reliable and decent microfossil photographing system, I will post on the micros I have that I collected a while ago. These are from the Pennsylvanian, and were collected in Brownwood, Texas. Though it doesn't show up in the pictures the fossils are a pinkish-brown color. Most of the material was made up of three different fossils: fusulinids, bryozoan colonies, and crinoid stems. There were a few broken brachiopod shells in it as well. Here are the fusulinids: Here are the bryozoans: And last are the crinoids: The material was so fossiliferous that in a small bag, I have already found at least two tablespoons of each of these three micros. I haven't even finished going through the bag yet. Oh, and another interesting non-fossil find was a few prickly pear cactus seeds! I don't know why they were in there, but I thought that that was kind of funny.