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Two Coral ID request


Ruger9a

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Good morning.  I have two unidentified fossil corals requiring an ID.  Does anyone know what type of coral these are.  I believe it was another yard sale purchase from many years ago. 

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Not really 

I could make some very arbitrary guesses but best not. 

Maybe @TqB, Tarquin? 

Life's Good!

Tortoise Friend.

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@Tidgy's Dad

The large plate of orange coral came from Rockcastle County, Kentucky.  I can't find anything on the other.

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If you're twisting my arm, then i'll make a speculative stab at it. 

It's a phaceloid rugose coral colony.

Entelophyllum. 

But it probably isn't. 

Life's Good!

Tortoise Friend.

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7 hours ago, Ruger9a said:

 

Acrocyathus (= Lithostrotion-Lithostrotionella) proliferus is prolific (:P) in the Mississippian of Kentucky.

 

image.thumb.png.0806339b2c058f6b29e5dbc9ea02f5ac.png

 

Sando, W.J. 1983

Revision of Lithostrotionella (Coelenterata, Rugosa) from the Carboniferous and Permian.

United States Geological Survey Professional Paper, 1247:1-52   PDF LINK

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1 hour ago, Tidgy's Dad said:

If you're twisting my arm, then i'll make a speculative stab at it. 

It's a phaceloid rugose coral colony.

Entelophyllum. 

But it probably isn't. 

Thanks for the try Adam. 

I could have sworn I saw a coral similar to my first set of photos in the Forum not long ago, but alas I am unable to relocate it.

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2 minutes ago, Ruger9a said:

Thanks for the try Adam. 

I could have sworn I saw a coral similar to my first set of photos in the Forum not long ago, but alas I am unable to relocate it.

Does it have visible septa? I can't tell for sure. 

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Life's Good!

Tortoise Friend.

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Yes, but I haven't cleaned it and they are full of lime?  Should I soak it in vinegar to bring out the details?

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I think Scott @piranha has it right. Definitely looks to be Acrocyathus. Although I do have a hard time telling the difference between A. proliferus and A. floriformis. I have a few fragmented examples that I go back and forth on, as far as species. Their internal structure is very similar. However, it's my understanding that A. floriformis is typically cerioid and A. proliferus is fasciculate so I would think yours to be A. proliferus since it appears fasciculate to me. Here is an except from the paper that Scott sited.


 

 

Sando, W.J. 1983

Revision of Lithostrotionella (Coelenterata, Rugosa) from the Carboniferous and Permian.

United States Geological Survey Professional Paper, 1247:1-52

 

"Discussion. -Colonies of the fasciculate A. proliferus show the same range in variation of internal structures, such as the columella and tabulae, as the cerioid A. floriformis. Both forms have a shortened cardinal septum and commonly a long counter septum. The only consistent internal difference is in the dissepimentarium, where the fasciculate forms have fewer rows of dissepiments, and the dissepimentarium is only weakly lonsdaleoid. Increase in both the fasciculate and cerioid forms is peripheral. In the fasciculate forms, the offsets tend to arise in clusters of several new individuals at levels of rejuvenation of the parent corallite. Form variation was studied in 263 USNM specimens from the St. Louis Limestone and equivalent beds in Alabama, Indiana, Illinois, Iowa, Kentucky, :Missouri, Tennessee, Virginia, West Virginia, Georgia, and Michigan. Of these specimens, 154 are cerioid A. floriformis and 95 are fasciculate A. proliferus. Both forms occur together at two localities. Ordinarily cerioid and fasciculate forms are discrete colonies:, but 14 specimens show both growth forms in the same colony (pl. 16). In most of these, cerioid corallites gave rise to fasciculate corallites, but in one colony, a fasciculate form became cerioid at a later stage." 

 

 

Also...

Here is a link to a paper with a great diagram explaining coral forms to shed some light on cerioid and fasciculate forms (among others). :) 

 

Denayer, Julien & Webb, Gregory. (2015). Cionodendron and related lithostrotionid genera from the Mississippian of eastern Australia: systematics, stratigraphy and evolution. Alcheringa An Australasian Journal of Palaeontology. 39. 10.1080/03115518.2015.1001218. LINK

 

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The first one looks like the Foerstephyllum vacuum that I have found in the Ordivician of Kentucky. Can you see any septa? They would be extremely short if you do. 

 

https://strata.uga.edu/cincy/fauna/tabulata/Foerstephyllum.html

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53 minutes ago, FossilNerd said:

The first one looks like the Foerstephyllum vacuum that I have found in the Ordivician of Kentucky. Can you see any septa? They would be extremely short if you do. 

 

https://strata.uga.edu/cincy/fauna/tabulata/Foerstephyllum.html

Thank you!  No I cannot see any septa.  It looks either filled, not there or VERY short.  Think a good cleaning might help bring out some details?

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1 minute ago, Ruger9a said:

Thank you!  No I cannot see any septa.  It looks either filled, not there or VERY short.  Think a good cleaning might help bring out some details?

if it has no septa at all it could be Favosites

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Life's Good!

Tortoise Friend.

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12 hours ago, Ruger9a said:

Thank you!  No I cannot see any septa.  It looks either filled, not there or VERY short.  Think a good cleaning might help bring out some details?

You are welcome! :) You can’t see many septa on my examples of Foerstephyllum (and I have quite a few) Most coralites are infilled, but the coralites that are visible are very very short. Mostly they look like the edge of the coralites are jagged. Of course, a hand lens reveals a little more detail if they are there.

 

12 hours ago, Tidgy's Dad said:

if it has no septa at all it could be Favosites

Hmmm... Could be.   :zzzzscratchchin:

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The good thing about science is that it's true whether or not you believe in it.  -Neil deGrasse Tyson

 

Everyone you will ever meet knows something you don't. -Bill Nye (The Science Guy)

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