Ordovician Brachiopods from the Hudson Valley, NY.

[Jeffrey P]

In September 2014, this writer collected a number of specimens of Ordovician Age brachiopods from a site just south of Kingston, NY. Ordovician brachiopods and other shelly fauna are pretty rare in the Hudson Valley despite widespread exposures of Ordovician Age shales, quartzites and slates that occasionally produce graptolites. These tiny casts and imprints found in crumbly shale and siltstone of the proposed Ulster Park Formation, from the top of the Normanskill Group is one of the few exceptions and deserves more extensive exploration.

Sowerbyella and Dalmanella

Dalmanella and Paucicrura rogata

[GordonC]

Impressive finds indeed; only a few graptolites from the Martinsburg shale (Ordovician) here. Gordon

[Ridgehiker]

Nice to see brachs from this locale.

Re graptolites. Graptolites are usually found in different strata from other fauna. Often black and dark grey shales that were deeper water environments. If brachs are found with them usually very small specimens.

Look forward to more of your finds.

[Fossildude19]

Neat brachiopods, Jeff!

Thanks for showing these rarities to us.
Regards,

[Jeffrey P]

Went back to the same site on Monday and at one point looked up at an overhanging layer of sandstone and couldn't believe my eyes; it was covered with imprints and casts of tiny brachiopod shells. Whereas last time I collected about a dozen specimens. This time I found surfaces crowded with hundreds of shells. This layer was approximately two to three inches thick, indicating a likely near shore environment.

[Jeffrey P]

[Pagurus]

Your persistence is paying off nicely, Jeff. Well done.

[ynot]

That is pretty nice-- especially for a formation not known for its fossils!!

Tony

[Fossildude19]

Nice finds, Jeff!

Regards,

[Jeffrey P]

Thanks guys for the encouragement.

[Ridgehiker]

Really great specimen. I've collected similar death plates from the later Paleozoic but never seen one from the Ordovician. It really gets the imagination going trying to recreate the ecosystem the brachs were deposited in. Something was going in to accumulate them, cover quickly, preserve, etc.

[GordonC]

Very nice indeed.

Gordon