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Just putting away my trilobite finds for the winter and decided to try to place a name with a face to a few, well a dozen , of my unknowns. Most of these were found in SW Wisconsin in the Mifflin of the Platteville Formation, Ordovician. It seems very difficult to ID trilobites when they present themselves as partials. These are not beautiful specimens, but knowing their ID can help me with future hunts. Thanks for any help. 1. Are these Thaleops or Illaenus cephalons? I can not figure out how to differentiate. 2. Is this a pygidium? If so, it is quite large. Any thoughts on how to label this? 3. What is the ID for the two partial cephalons with what looks like an eye on each one? 4. Is this a hypostome from Basiliella barrandi? 5. Can't place these pygidiums . Kinda isotoleus but kind of bumastus. Actually I have no idea!!! These actually came from the Maquoketa, not Platteville.

Raggedy Man created a post yesterday showing a great example of what is found in SW Wisconsin. Take a look at it. It is spectacular! I visited the area about a month ago and did not find as nice of finds, so sheepish about posting now. But here goes: 1. examples of gastropods These tiny specimens I am thinking are gastropods. They were posted in the Fossil ID section: 2. Cephalopod mix:

I had attempted once before to ID these small creatures in the matrix of the Platteville Ordovician rock of SW Wisconsin. Hopefully this time will yield some results. They are small, less than 1/2 inch in diameter. Here are the most detailed two.

Found this at a site that had a rock slide. The cliff is Decorah shale and Platteville limestone. Thought this was a Rugosa Coral on site. When I returned home and cleaned it up a bit, it appeared like something I had yet to find. It is very thin/delicate and hollow. The other Platteville unknown that I found was this: Will be patiently waiting!!!! Mike

Had the time to clean this up and was surprised at what I have. Any help IDing this would be greatly appreciated. It seems to have a tiny little tail!!!