Help ID - brachiopods

[Ralenka]

Hi! A find from Devonian in central NY, Tompkins county (USA) again. Am I right with the following guesses?

1. Spiriferida (Mucrospirifer?)

2. Atrypa

Thank you!

 

I see often that a mold of a fossil is more clear and has more features than the corresponding cast. Is it usually the case or the feature if the rocks that I find? Is there a way to clean it to make the cast more visible or the features are lost already (e.g. #1 of the picture)?

[Fossildude19]

# 2 are actually the spiriferids. Tylolthyris mesacostalis, I believe.

#1 may be Productella speciosa. 

 

These are likely Upper Devonian in age.

[Ralenka]

Oh, I mixed the numbering, 1 is 2 and 2 is 1. Thanks @Fossildude19

[Ralenka]

@Fossildude19 can you please tell why do you think it is tylolthyris and not mucrospirifer? Just trying to learn which features to look at when ID. Thanks 

[Fossildude19]

2 hours ago, Ralenka said:

@Fossildude19 can you please tell why do you think it is tylolthyris and not mucrospirifer? Just trying to learn which features to look at when ID. Thanks 

 

Please, call me Tim. Fossildude19 can be a bit much to type. (unless you are tagging me.  )

 

I was going of my copy of Devonian Paleontology of New York  guidebook. 

 

It says Productella speciosa  is an Upper Devonian species. The spiriferid from the Upper Devonian is Tylothyris mesacostalis. 

 

Pictures here: 

   

 

 

 

I may have missed it in my quick review this morning, but I didn't find a Productella  sp. from the Middle Devonian. 

So it is possible I am mistaken, and your spiriferid is Mucrospirifer mucronatus. 

 

If you could narrow your area down a bit further than Tompkins county, we may be able to figure out the age of the strata.

Apparently, Tompkins County has both Upper and Middle Devonian units exposed. 

This from the USGS.gov

 

 

 

 

 

[Ralenka]

On 6/15/2020 at 1:39 PM, Fossildude19 said:

If you could narrow your area down a bit further than Tompkins county, we may be able to figure out the age of the strata.

Apparently, Tompkins County has both Upper and Middle Devonian units exposed. 

Thanks a lot, Tim! My finds are all from around Ithaca, from various creeks.