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This item is 6.5 x 2.5 mm. It is from the Middle Creek Member of the Kansas City Group (Pennsylvanian Subsystem) and was found in conjunction with crinoid pieces, brachiopods, bryozoans, and horn coral. Any ID help will be appreciated. Russ Front: Back: Back with measurement: Left side: Right side: Top (tip): Bottom (tip):

I have been a fossil hunter for about two years and I suppose I have around 100 species in my collection. The vast majority of my specimens are incomplete/broken but even so I find them fascinating. Here in Kansas City I have enjoyed the Winterset, Middle Creek, and Sniabar limestone members in the Kansas City Group--all in the Pennsylvanian subsystem. Often, however, I am not able to identify the specific members or formations in the road-cuts that I frequent. Some of my grandchildren enjoy going fossil hunting with me, and it is great being in nature and hiking some with them too. Recently I have discovered the microfossils in some nodules/concretions and have made good use of my 10x loupe (I do not have a microscope yet). Beginning collectors like myself are fortunate to have a wonderful resource for this part of the country—Richard Gentile’s book called Rocks and Fossils of the Central United States, with special Emphasis on the Greater Kansas City Area (Univ. of Kansas Dept. of Geology, 2011). My copy is getting worn, wrinkled, and taped from steady reference and sometimes being in my backpack. The Fossil Forum has also been an important source of information for me these last two years, and now I hope to participate more actively. In addition, I hope to choose a focus or two to concentrate on and perhaps move beyond the beginning stages of collecting with this specialization. My thanks in advance to those members of the forum who will being responding to my questions.

Stopped after work at a spot of Pennsylvanian Middle Creek limestone between the Elm Branch form. and the Hushpuckney shale and found this lot of goodies! pic1 I am thinking the gastropod is either littorinoidea or viviparus but am in no way sure? I haven't found a lot of gastropods so I am not familiar with them. Here it is though and I would welcome any thoughts. pic2 pic3 (I placed it on the shale for better contrast, not for association)(any clue about the ?'trace'? on the shale?{Muncie Creek}) pic4 A couple of the brachs pictured are extremely well preserved! A couple of crinoid spines and a plate, some nice bryozoan material and a couple meekella brachs in hash. I'll have to post a second time to show them, I have reached the upload quota for this post. Thanks for looking!