Jump to content

Adventures In Microscopy


Missourian

Recommended Posts

I just discovered that I can use an iPhone to snap photos through the microscope. There is no stopping me now.... :)

Note: I won't forever be limited to my iPhone. ;)

Edited by Missourian
  • I found this Informative 1

Context is critical.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Arenaceous foram (~0.5mm)

Ammovertella sp. (inclusa?)

Fontana Shale, Pennsylvanian

Clay County, Missouri

 

post-6808-0-22237500-1355994084.thumb.jpg.881ec78a8e2b2e563246455c9012f808.jpg

 

Context is critical.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Trilobite eye

Ameura missouriensis

Westerville Limestone, Pennsylvanian

Jackson County, Missouri

 

post-6808-0-63783400-1356074960.thumb.jpg.42e31b77e263b43caeadd691716a1a1c.jpg

 

Much more to come, I'm sure....

Context is critical.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Arenaceous foram

Ammovertella tornella

Fontana Shale, Pennsylvanian

Clay County, Missouri

 

post-6808-0-53130800-1356159614.thumb.jpg.da6355b3a58fe090548c8853fa77220c.jpg

 

 

The foram test has wound around a spine of some sort. It is ~1 mm in length.

Context is critical.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Ostracod half shells

Fontana Shale, Pennsylvanian

Clay County, Missouri

 

post-6808-0-98979500-1356159735.jpg.718524703703cf7c73feceecfa990645.thumb.jpg.d6a04b68f94a5041fad6e4dc366ea090.jpg

 

There are at least four here. I'm not sure if the object just above center is a fifth ostracod or something else. The largest ostracod is ~1 mm in length.

Context is critical.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I just discovered that I can use an iPhone to snap photos through the microscope. There is no stopping me now.... :)

Note: I won't forever be limited to my iPhone. ;)

That's THE discovery :drool::D I love it :wub:

Astrinos P. Damianakis

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Sponge spicule network

Heliospongia sp. (excavata?)

Captain Creek Limestone, Pennsylvanian

Clay County, Missouri

 

post-6808-0-58389100-1323306751.thumb.jpg.ad64347b2941e94ba1e8d5e68d9a7a8b.jpg

 

post-6808-0-78809900-1356163456.thumb.jpg.32bd14c3d4ac22d54b85222bf8100d29.jpg

 

The limestone matrix was removed from the silicified sponge with muriatic acid. The 'cells' are ~1 mm across.

  • I found this Informative 1

Context is critical.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

This is a looooong distance call, from the Paleozoic!

"There has been an alarming increase in the number of things I know nothing about." - Ashleigh Ellwood Brilliant

“Try to learn something about everything and everything about something.” - Thomas Henry Huxley

>Paleontology is an evolving science.

>May your wonders never cease!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

On 12/22/2012 at 7:20 AM, Auspex said:

This is a looooong distance call, from the Paleozoic!

 

There's an app for that. :)

Context is critical.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Forams

Nummulites laevigatus

Lutetien Stage, Eocene

Near Paris, France

 

post-6808-0-17764800-1356331839.thumb.jpg.faae8705259dc5e2daaef1ac26466680.jpg

 

post-6808-0-89785900-1356246399.thumb.jpg.08540a1b0e33b24546a46bfc26914a2f.jpg

 

The forams are 12-13 mm across. Thanks Nala for the specimens. :)

 

Edit: I re-imaged the second specimen. The original photo was slightly blurry.

Context is critical.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Arenaceous forams

Tolypammina sp.

Fontana Shale, Pennsylvanian

Jackson County, Missouri

 

post-6808-0-91378800-1356334545.thumb.jpg.ead9b3c47c8cce474fa1d911a5062c5d.jpg

 

These are attached to a 17 mm pelecypod shell fragment. Without magnification, these appear as white fuzz or salt encrustation.

A closer view:

 

post-6808-0-42540300-1356334234.thumb.jpg.dec2ebec7a3183db906c7dcc0891e9b0.jpg

 

Other forams, such as Ammovertella, are likely present as well, but they would be difficult to pick out among the Tolypammina. These forams, along with the alga Girvanella, formed these thick encrustations known as Ottonosia.

Context is critical.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Leaf detail

Cordaites sp.

Winterset Limestone, Pennsylvanian

Clay County, Missouri

 

post-6808-0-66881800-1356429443.thumb.jpg.d252630d110c51f059ba8fd62a4bc4f4.jpg

 

Area imaged:

 

post-6808-0-44133900-1356429762.thumb.jpg.c03970ef49b249c290cc0efd3106779e.jpg

Context is critical.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Juvenile eurypterid

Adelophthalmus sp.

Upper Cherokee Group, Pennsylvanian

Knob Noster, Missouri

 

93-Adelophthalmus-baby.jpg

 

1513-Adelophthalmus-juvenile-4.jpg

 

1502-Adelophthalmus-juvenile-3.jpg

 

It is 17 mm from head to telson.

Context is critical.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Bryozoan

Fistulipora sp.

Middle Creek Limestone, Pennsylvanian

Jackson County, Missouri

 

346-Fistulipora-detail.jpg

 

1534-Fistulipora.jpg

Context is critical.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Fusulinids have long been studied by micropaleontologists. Their great numbers, minute size, and variation (to experts, at least) make them ideal for biostratigraphy. I just find them fascinating under the scope.

 

Triticites sp.

Beil Limestone, Pennsylvanian

Osage County, Kansas

 

077-Beil-Triticites-slab.jpg

 

1554-Triticites-Beil.jpg

 

The largest fusulinid is 5 mm long.

 

Triticites sp.

Ervine Creek Limestone, Pennsylvanian

Holt County, Missouri

 

002-Ervine-Creek-Triticites-2.jpg

 

1548-Triticites-Ervine.jpg

 

The largest fusulinid is 6 mm long.

Context is critical.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

5 mm trilobite

Brachyaspidon microps

Wheeler Shale, Cambrian

House Range, Utah

 

1567-Brachyaspidon.jpg

Context is critical.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Like fusulinids, conodonts are used extensively in biostratigraphy. These tiny tooth-like fossils can be found in many rock types, but they are most easily spotted in black shales. The conodonts shown here were found in the Pennsylvanian Stark and Hushpuckney Shales of Jackson County, Missouri.

Streptognathodus sp. (~1 mm)


1663-Streptognathodus.jpg

Streptognathodus sp. pair (~2 mm)


1668-Streptognathodus-pair.jpg

Unfortunately, these are only negatives in the shale.

Ligonodina sp. (~3 mm)


1591-Ligonodina.jpg

Ozarkodina sp. (~1 mm negative)


1631-Ozarkodina.jpg

Hibbardella sp. (edit: this could be Idioprionodus sp.) (~1 mm)


1587-Hibbardella.jpg

Hindeodella sp. (~1 mm)


1639-Hindeodella.jpg

These conodonts proved difficult to image with the iPhone. The light amber fossils were overexposed as the camera tried to balance out the lighting of the black shale. The play of light in the nearly transparent calcium phosphate of the conodonts can make it difficult to discern their form and structure. The Ligonodina is the only one that came out satisfactorily.

Context is critical.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Fenestrate bryozoan

Polypora sp.

Wyandotte Formation, Pennsylvanian

Johnson County, Kansas

 

1684-Polypora.jpg

 

The 'root ball' is 4 mm across.

Context is critical.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Chaetetid sponge structure

'Chaetetes milleporaceous'

Coal City Limestone, Pennsylvanian

Warrensburg, Missouri

 

335-chaetetid-4-marked.jpg

 

I've always been intrigued by these menorah-like structures that are commonly found in sectioned pieces:

 

1708-chaetetid-structure.jpg

Context is critical.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.
×
×
  • Create New...