Coral fossil id

[Madoza]

Found this while camping in Kentucky during the eclipse. looking for fossils with my daughter and wife were a highlight of the trip. I'd love to know more thanks!

[Madoza]

After searching the forum realized I hadn't illustrated scale or described location. Northern end of land between the lakes ky. Gravel beach. More pics

[Madoza]

[Miocene_Mason]

Rudist colonies?

[Monica]

Or how about colonial coral?

[Monica]

Here's a geological map of Kentucky (from http://www.uky.edu/KGS/geoky/): 

 

 

Where did you find these, @Madoza?  I think that what you likely have are colonial rugose (horn) corals - they lived from the Ordovician through to the Permian (according to Wikipedia), so if you found these specimens in a place that is purple, red, or blue on the map above, then I think that that's what you probably have.

 

Thanks for sharing!

 

Monica

[doushantuo]

 I just posted some Alleyne Nicholson,I think it might be one of these(favositid).

Tarq will draw & quarter me,no doubt 

[Madoza]

These were sitting a few feet from each other but I thought they might be different species. Mostly given the size disparity. I'm very ignorant regarding fossils; can I expect these washed up on shore out of the lake? or were they encased in the dirt bank where they were revealed via erosion? I plan on reading up but I'm curious in the mean time. Thanks for the theories!

[piranha]

This is a common Mississippian coral from the Midwest states: Acrocyathus (=Lithostrotionella)
 
Here is a good paper:
 
Sando, W.J. (1983)
Revision of Lithostrotionella (Coelenterata, Rugosa) from the Carboniferous and Permian.
United States Geological Survey Professional Paper, 1247:1-52  PDF LINK

[Madoza]

4 minutes ago, Monica said:

Here's a geological map of Kentucky (from http://www.uky.edu/KGS/geoky/): 

 

 

Where did you find these, @Madoza?  I think that what you likely have are colonial rugose (horn) corals - they lived from the Ordovician through to the Permian (according to Wikipedia), so if you found these specimens in a place that is purple, red, or blue on the map above, then I think that that's what you probably have.

 

Thanks for sharing!

 

Monica

The northern tip of lbl (land between the lakes) is in west ky which is in the green but very close to blue. The map is excellent! Where can I find one of tn? I live~10 miles from the coon creek dig.

[TqB]

They're rugose colonies, Mississippian if they're north end of Kentucky Lake. (Horn coral refers to solitary species though it's not a technical term.)

 

I'm not well up on US Carb corals (we've got different ones in the UK!) but the first and last ones could be Lithostrotionella. 

(As usual, sections might be needed for a definite ID though someone with good local coral knowledge might not need them.)

 

Edit: Piranha got there first!

[Monica]

9 minutes ago, Madoza said:

These were sitting a few feet from each other but I thought they might be different species. Mostly given the size disparity. I'm very ignorant regarding fossils; can I expect these washed up on shore out of the lake? or were they encased in the dirt bank where they were revealed via erosion? I plan on reading up but I'm curious in the mean time. Thanks for the theories!

 

Hi again!

 

I know nothing about which species these could be - I will say that your smaller specimen looks more like a colonial rugose coral to me since the individuals look more like horns than the individuals in your larger specimen, but I am no expert - I defer to them 

 

Monica

 

5 minutes ago, Madoza said:

The northern tip of lbl (land between the lakes) is in west ky which is in the green but very close to blue. The map is excellent! Where can I find one of tn? I live~10 miles from the coon creek dig.

 

How about this geological map of Tennessee?  It's from https://www.tn.gov/environment/article/geo-maps-list-of-maps-publications:

 

Enjoy!

Monica

[doushantuo]

What Tarq means:

Btw: nobody mentions Dorlodotia anymore

[doushantuo]

Lithostrotionella's European(Spanish) species might be revised in this one,I think

[piranha]

Here are 2 Mississippian species of Acrocyathus (=Lithostrotionella)

 

 

[Madoza]

You guys are great, I have a lot of reading to do, thanks to everyone who took the time to educate me.

[doushantuo]

sando1983

[piranha]

1 minute ago, doushantuo said:

sando1983

 

 

26 minutes ago, piranha said:

This is a common Mississippian coral from the Midwest states: Acrocyathus (=Lithostrotionella)
 
Here is a good paper:
 
Sando, W.J. (1983)
Revision of Lithostrotionella (Coelenterata, Rugosa) from the Carboniferous and Permian.
United States Geological Survey Professional Paper, 1247:1-52  PDF LINK

 

LOL

[TqB]

16 minutes ago, doushantuo said:

What Tarq means:

Btw: nobody mentions Dorlodotia anymore

 

 

I've got some UK Dorlodotia - used to be Thysanophyllum which is now restricted to the cerioid forms. 

[FossilDAWG]

8 minutes ago, piranha said:

 

 

 

LOL

Hey, great minds think alike!

(I much prefer that to the rest of the phrase, which is "and simple seldom differ")

 

Don

[doushantuo]

I am NOT a great mind

Scott,sorry,didn't see that one.