Ordovician structure, please help identify

[Cards]

Hello,

I'm new to fossil hunting and to this forum, so my apologies for the very basic (and potentially ill-formatted) question. I recently got access to a friend's property near Louisville Kentucky that is pretty lousy with brachiopods. Had a lot of fun exploring, but I also found some fossil-like structures that didn't look like shells. Any chance you can help me identify one of them? Assuming this is like the rest of Jefferson County the material is Grant Lake Limestone. The fossils are Ordovician (all sea floor material). This piece in question stood out because it's dark like the fossils (which are easy to spot against the otherwise light brown matrix), but didn't look like the rest. It was found on the banks of a very small creek (that is mostly moving during rain storms). The mystery in question is the dark rectangular bit. The others are clearly brachiopods.

Thanks for looking! I'm trying to get as much info as I can before I head out again.

[Miocene_Mason]

I've got two ideas:

1) Eurypterid segment

2) Back here in Maryland in some Devonian deposits I found some strange rectangular bars as well. Although different in some ways they might be related, they turned out to be worm burrows.

[Trickworm]

Looks to me like a piece of an Isotelus trilobite. Pretty common in your area i believe. 

[Cards]

I'm hoping it might be part of a trilobite. I'd like to check that spot again after a storm to see if I can find a bit more...

[howard_l]

Yes, it is a Isotelus trilobite  fragment very common in some KY Ord. rocks.

[andyrice11]

I agree with Trickworm and howard_l, definitely a fragment of an Isotelus trilobite. I hunt in Ordovician rocks in southern Indiana on a weekly basis and I stumble upon Iso fragments like yours pretty often. They always have a very smooth appearance and a distinct brown or black color which makes them stand out from the rest of the matrix. You should definitely return to that same spot to see if you can find some more pieces. You may even be able to find some pieces of an Isotelus hypostome! 

Great find!

 

Andy

[Cards]

Terrific, I was hoping I might be able to find trilobites here. Will be back after it rains to check for more!

[EMP]

22 hours ago, Cards said:

Hello,

I'm new to fossil hunting and to this forum, so my apologies for the very basic (and potentially ill-formatted) question. I recently got access to a friend's property near Louisville Kentucky that is pretty lousy with brachiopods. Had a lot of fun exploring, but I also found some fossil-like structures that didn't look like shells. Any chance you can help me identify one of them? Assuming this is like the rest of Jefferson County the material is Grant Lake Limestone. The fossils are Ordovician (all sea floor material). This piece in question stood out because it's dark like the fossils (which are easy to spot against the otherwise light brown matrix), but didn't look like the rest. It was found on the banks of a very small creek (that is mostly moving during rain storms). The mystery in question is the dark rectangular bit. The others are clearly brachiopods.

Thanks for looking! I'm trying to get as much info as I can before I head out again.

 

Could it be an Isotelus trilobite hypostoma (Mouth piece)?