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Crania Crania modesta is a rare calcium carbonate Pennsylvanian inarticulate brachiopod. The shell is very thin and the ornamentation of the shell below shows through. You can see the interior of a near circular 4.6 by 4.8 mm pedicle valve that attached itself to aLinoproductus prattenianus (photo #1). A bryozoan also covers the front and back of the Linoproductus (photos #2 & #4). Photo #2 is a different photo of the same Crania as in photo #1. The Crania has a thickened rim and a sub central knob. Rowell (1965, p. 289) lists Crania as the only Pennsylvanian genus with a calcified pedicle valve as stated by Sutherland (1973, p. 16). The presence of a large bryozoan colony on the backside of the Linoproductus valve (photo #4) suggests why only the pedicle valve of the Crania was preserved. The entire Linoproductus shell with the Crania and small bryozoan colony on top (photo #2) was flipped over allowing the bryozoan to grow on the other side. The brachial valve dissolved away or was broken off from exposure before it was buried. The brachial valve was probable very thin like the pedicle valve. Taxonomy from GBIF. Photo 3 from plate 11, figure 17 from Mudge 1962. Mudge, M. R., Yochelson, E. L., Douglas, R. C. et al. 1962. Stratigraphy and Paleontology of the Uppermost Pennsylvanian and Lowermost Permian Rocks in Kansas. United States Geological Survey Professional Paper 323:1-213. https://pubs.usgs.gov/pp/0323/report.pdf Rowell, A. J. 1965. Inarticulata. In: R.C. Moore (ed.), Treatise on Invertebrate Paleontology. Part H. Brachiopoda, H260–H296. Geological Society of America and University of Kansas Press, Boulder. Sutherland, P. K. and F. H. Harlow. 1973. Pennsylvanian brachiopods and biostratigraphy in southern Sangre de Cristo Mountains, New Mexico. Memoirs of the New Mexico Bureau of Mines and Mineral Resources 27:1–171. Free download: https://geoinfo.nmt.edu/publications/monographs/memoirs/27/ First description in: White, C. A. and St. John, O. H. 1867. Descriptions of new sub-Carboniferous and Coal Mesures fossils collected upon the geological survey of Iowa, together with a notice of new generic characters observed in two species of brachiopods. Transactions of the Chicago Academy of Sciences 1:115-127.

1.75 mm across silicified shell of a microconchid, a possible Lophophorate, that is sometimes referred to as a “worm tube”. It is encrusted on a Caninia coral. Found in the Pennsylvanian Naco Formation limestone from northern Arizona. Two microconchids are visible on the bottom of the lower right hand coral. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Microconchida

A great example of a less common productid brachiopod preserved in calcite from the Kohl’s Ranch Paleo Site also known as the Indian Gardens Paleo Site east of Payson, Arizona. Some workers refer to this as Antiquatonia portlockianus. References: Brew, D., & Beus, S. (1976). A Middle Pennsylvanian Fauna from the Naco Formation near Kohl Ranch, Central Arizona. Journal of Paleontology, 50(5), 888-906. Retrieved October 7, 2020, from http://www.jstor.org/stable/1303586 Norwood, J. C. and Pratten H. 1855. Notice of Producti found in the Western States and Territories, with descriptions of twelve new species. Journal of the Philadelphia Academy of Natural Sciences 111(1):5-22.

Stioderma coscinum from Rigby and Mapes 2000. Sponges are common in the Pennsylvanian Naco Formation of central Arizona. A friend and I collected pieces of Stioderma sponges near Roberts Mesa. Stioderma sponges have a set of very distinctive features that make an ID much easier than other Arizona sponges. They have spicules that are distally modified into layered rounded pustules that are set atop a surface with funnel shaped holes. My sponge has an edge that curves under and is covered with pustules. Further research might reveal what species they are. Stioderma genus erected by Finks: Finks, Robert M. (1960). Late Paleozoic sponge faunas of the Texas region: The siliceous sponges. Bulletin of the American Museum of Natural History 120(1):1-160 found at http://digitallibrary.amnh.org/handle/2246/1220 Stioderma coscinum found in Desmoinian Age Millsap Lake Formation in Texas: Rigby, J. K. and Mapes, R. H. 2000. Some Pennsylvanian and Permian sponges from southwestern Oklahoma and north-central Texas. Brigham Young University Geology Studies, v. 45, p. 25–67. http://geology.byu.edu/Home/sites/default/files/geo_stud_vol_45_rigby_mapes.pdf Spanish Stioderma: Diego C. García-Bellido, & Rigby, J. (2004). Devonian and Carboniferous Sponges from Spain. Journal of Paleontology, 78(3), 431-455. Retrieved September 30, 2020, from http://www.jstor.org/stable/4094858

This is the largest Wewokella solida that I have found from the Pennsylvanian Naco Formation in Arizona. It is a thick-walled, sub-cylindrical, hollow sponge with simple mostly 4 to 2 pointed spicules. It is differentiated from the related Regispongia genus that has spicules with many more points, polyactine. Sponge is found from the Middle Pennsylvanian to the Early Permian in Arizona, Texas, Oklahoma, Utah, Ohio and maybe New Mexico. Description from Girty: “WEWOKELLA SOLIDA Girty. Plate I, figures 12-13b. 1911. Wewokella solida. Girty, New York Acad. Sci. Annals, vol. 21, p. 121. Wewoka formation: Coalgate quadrangle, Okla. Sponge body irregularly cylindrical, attaining a diameter of at least 25 millimeters. The center is occupied by a large tubular cloaca, the walls being about 7 millimeters thick and showing no evidence of being pierced by radial canals. A dermal layer, if originally present, has been lost. The walls are now made up of large spicules, which are doubtless typically 4-rayed, with one of the rays more or less reduced. Some of the others are perhaps aborted, so that many of the spicules seem to be irregularly branched. They are so interwoven as to make up a wall having considerable rigidity to augment which they may be partly cemented, although it is doubtful if they anastomose. The structure, then, though extremely varied in detail, makes on the whole a homogeneous wall which is apparently the same on the inside as on the outside. Among the large spicules are other much smaller tetraxons. Horizon and locality. Wewoka formation: Coalgate quadrangle, Okla. (station 2004).” Girty, G. H. 1911. On some new genera and species of Pennsylvanian fossils from the Wewoka Formation of Oklahoma. Ann. N.Y. Acad. Sci. 21:119-156. Link Redescription of Wewokella and creation of new related genus with polyactine spicules: Rigby, J. (1978). Two Wewokellid Calcareous Sponges in North America. Journal of Paleontology, 52(3), 705-716. Most recent paper describing Wewokella with good pictures: Rigby, J. K. and Mapes, R. H. 2000. Some Pennsylvanian and Permian sponges from southwestern Oklahoma and north-central Texas. Brigham Young University Geology Studies, v. 45, p. 25–67, 6 pls., 6 figs. Link They are found in Texas: Rigby, J. & McKinzie, Mark & Britt, Brooks. (2008). Pennsylvanian Sponges from the Graford Formation, Wise County, Texas. Journal of Paleontology - J PALEONTOL. 82. 492-510. 10.1666/07-060.1. PALEONTOL. 82. 492-510. 10.1666/07-060.1. Girty, G. H., 1915. Fauna of the Wewoka Formation of Oklahoma: U.S. Geol. Surv. Bull. 544:1-353.