A couple of brachiopods from Kentucky

My friend Mike, over at his Louisville Fossils blog, sent me a couple of brachiopods from Kentucky that I didn't have in my collection.

The first one is a huge Syringothyris Pedicle valve from the Mississippian aged Muldraugh formation. It's just the single valve and he had to cut it out of the hard limestone, but it's pretty cool! Mike has a more complete one on his blog here.

Anterior

Posterior

The other brachiopod is Pentamerus nysius from the Louisville Limestone of Kentucky which is Silurian in age (Homerian to Gorstian stage). Again it's just a single valve (in this case the Brachial) but you can see the outline of the Pedicle valve just above the tip. Mike has one posted on his blog here.

Thanks to Mike for sending me these cool fossils!