AHoffman Posted May 14, 2017 Share Posted May 14, 2017 As I wade through the boxes of fossils I collected as a kid and try to make heads or tails of what everything is, where it was collected, and whether it is worth keeping or giving away, I've hit a road block with cephalopods. It seems cephalopod identification hinges largely on internal features that are not always accessible/preserved. I'm trying to figure out what I can and cannot identify and also what I am trying to look for. I've got two examples below; the smaller one is from Ripley County Indiana and is either from the Liberty or Waynesville Formation (I believe) of the Richmondian stage. Looking at it, I was thinking the small circle visible on both the anterior and posterior end is the siphuncle. If this is true, it looks to be ventral which would make this Cameroceras? Am I on the right track and can I get it down to species possibly? The second, larger fossil is from Franklin County Indiana and is also from either the Waynesville or Liberty Formations of the Richmondian. Based on the shape, it seems like this is an Oncocerid cephalopod and I'm torn between Diestoceras and Beloitoceras. Once again, am I in the right ballpark and can this be narrowed down any more given the condition of the fossils? I'm interesting in learning what features everyone is looking at in identifying cephalopods and what kind of preservation is needed to get to at least the genus level so I can apply the approach my other cephalopod fossils. Thanks for any help you can provide! -Andrew Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kane Posted May 14, 2017 Share Posted May 14, 2017 Although I can't really help with a pinpoint ID, thank you for sharing these with us. And welcome back, by the way! These are quite nice specimens. ...How to Philosophize with a Hammer Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
doushantuo Posted May 14, 2017 Share Posted May 14, 2017 As a first suggestion:familiarize yourself with the ouput of Sven Stridsberg and Bjorn Kroger edit: if you hadn't done that already 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
doushantuo Posted May 14, 2017 Share Posted May 14, 2017 or you can trust yours truly Great plates in this one,BTW Unless i'm very much mistaken,several Beloitoceras discussed in that paper there's also USGS paper 1066,of course,probably already in Fruitbat's excellent preservation of septal necks would be a prerequisite,methinks 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
doushantuo Posted May 14, 2017 Share Posted May 14, 2017 Kroger on the Hirnantian of Sweden 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
abyssunder Posted May 14, 2017 Share Posted May 14, 2017 If I compare this specimen with those from R. C. Frey, 1995, I think it looks more like Diestoceras rather than Beloitoceras. 1 " We are not separate and independent entities, but like links in a chain, and we could not by any means be what we are without those who went before us and showed us the way. " Thomas Mann My Library Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AHoffman Posted May 15, 2017 Author Share Posted May 15, 2017 Thanks all, for the help! Those references will definitely help me out. Based on the figures, Diestoceras certainly does look like the closer of the two. Is there a way to cut one of these in half to actually examine the siphuncle and septal neck? Would those features even be preserved in these kind of fossils? -Andrew Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
doushantuo Posted May 15, 2017 Share Posted May 15, 2017 ANTHOLOGYexcusethepun 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
doushantuo Posted May 15, 2017 Share Posted May 15, 2017 fairlyrecent 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jessevanhout Posted May 15, 2017 Share Posted May 15, 2017 sorry can i have one of u smart people look at my stuff please i think i got some cool things sorry didnt know how to go about this Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TqB Posted May 15, 2017 Share Posted May 15, 2017 4 hours ago, jessevanhout said: sorry can i have one of u smart people look at my stuff please i think i got some cool things sorry didnt know how to go about this Go to the top of this page and click "Start new topic". Tarquin Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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