Philhedra crenistriata brachiopod from the Widder formation

Adding another Brachiopod species to my collection from the Hungry Hollow member of the Widder formation at Hungry Hollow, Ontario is Philhedra crenistriata. This is an inarticulate brachiopod and uncommon to find from this location. Inarticulate brachiopods are animals that hold their shells together using their muscles as opposed to Articulate brachiopods who have a hinge and teeth system to hold the shell together.

In this case, Philhedra crenistriata is a type of Inarticulate brachiopod which cements one valve of it's shell to a hard substrate (typically another brachiopod, mollusk, or coral) while the other valve lifts like an umbrealla. Philhedra is a simple genus to ID in the field by the flat rounded shell with a central raised "beak" that is surrounded by radiating ribs. The specimen below should be both valves with the top, or dorsal valve, visible. The ventral valve is beneath the dorsal valve and is cemented to the shell beneath.

I collected this specimen from the Hungry Hollow member of the Widder formation which is Devonian in age, Givetian stage.

Partial placoderm plate from the Arkona formation

I have never found much in the way of fish remains at Hungry Hollow, Ontario, but once I did find a small fragment from a bony placoderm plate.  Placoderms were early, shark like fish that had external bony armor around their heads. There are a few species known from the middle Devonian aged rocks found at Hungry Hollow (Arkona formation and Widder formation) but this is just a fragment so I doubt I could narrow the species down.

I found this piece near the base of a slope of eroded Arkona formation and could not find any trace of more uphill. You can tell it is bone due to the pale blue color (evidence of the phosphate mineral Vivianite) and the spongy structure within the piece.

Top surface - this is what would have been the outer facing portion of the bone. Note the bumps, perhaps they helped streamline the fish for swimming purposes?

Two side views of the bone showing the spongy nature.

This was the interior side of the bone

I collected this specimen from the Arkona formation which is Devonian in age, Givetian stage.

Small sponge from the Widder formation

On a trip to the exposures of the Widder formation along the Credit river in Hungry Hollow, Ontario, I found this cluster of sponge spicules. It is not uncommon to find individual spicules like this within the Hungry Hollow member of the Widder formation, but a large cluster like this is less common. I checked the "Check List of Fossil Invertebrates Described from the Middle Devonian Rocks of the Thedford-Arkona Region of Southwestern Ontario" by Stumm and Wright (1958) and they list one sponge known from the Widder formation: Astraeospongia hamiltonensis.  I am familiar with that genus from the upper Silurian where it is known as Astraeospongia meniscus from the Brownsport formation. The spicules in my specimen look very similar to those earlier species so I think I will stick with the name Astraeospongia hamiltonensis.

I collected this specimen from the Hungry Hollow member of the Widder formation which is Devonian in age, Givetian stage.

Mystery echinoderm from the Verulam formation

Below are some pictures of a mystery Echinoderm from the Verulam/Bobcaygeon formation. I am not entirely sure of the formation this comes from as it was found in an area that was close to the boundary of the two units.

It was found a couple of years ago and cleaned by an expert but there it not much there to go on. I posted these images to a group on Facebook that is frequented by knowledgeable people who have collected for many years from the Verulam and Bobcaygeon formation. The only possibility that was suggested was that it could have been part of the central body of a starfish. The presence of many small plates does make it seem like an echinoderm and starfish have lots of small plates as part of their bodies so I think this is as close as I'll be able to get to figuring out just what this was. For reference, the fossil is about the size of a US quarter.

I collected this fossil in 2017 at the James Dick quarry near Gamebridge, Ontario. The Verulam and Bobcaygeon formation is late Ordovician in age, Katian/Mohawkian stage.

Ceraurus globulobatus Trilobite from the Verulam formation

I've mentioned before that I don't often have luck with finding Trilobites, well the specimen below is a definite exception to the rule. It's a Ceraurus globulobatus from the Verulam formation. I found it a few years back and a friend, M.T., did the prep work to clean it up. It's not a perfect specimen but it's darn nice. The glabella is slightly crushed and one of the tail spines is missing as well as a small section of shell from the end of the thorax. All in all though, it's a large fossil and a species I never had before.

It is a very flat specimen so perhaps more evolved to swim in the water column?

The eyes are fairly well preserved and not crushed. I am not able to see any lenses though.

Here is what it looked like before it was cleaned up.

I collected this fossil in 2017 at the James Dick quarry near Gamebridge, Ontario. The Verulam formation is late Ordovician in age, Katian/Mohawkian stage.

Cupulocrinus jewetti crinoid from the Bobcaygeon Fm.

This is a partial Crinoid from the Bobcaygeon formation in Gamebridge, Ontario, Canada. I found it a few years ago on a field trip and a friend, Malcolm, cleaned it up for me. The crinoid is named Cupulocrinus jewetti and this is a pretty good example. The stem and some arms are missing but otherwise it is a decent specimen.  It is one of the few articulated crinoid specimens that I have found myself.

The Bobcaygeon formation is Ordovician in age (late Ordovician, Katian/Mohawkian stage).
I used William Hessin's book "South Central Ontario Fossils", 2009, Self Published, pg. 244 to help identify this fossil.

Syringocrinus paradoxicus carpoid plate from the Verulam formation

A number of years ago I picked up a large plate of shaly limestone at the James Dick quarry in Gamebridge, Ontario. It comes from the Verulam formation and I knew it was a special find as I could see what looked like crinoid stems on it but with slightly different shapes to the stems. It turns out that after a good cleaning by my friend Malcolm the crinoid stems are actually carpoid stems. Carpoids are odd echinoderms that are cousins to crinoids. These particular fossils are called Syringocrinus paradoxicus and are fairly rare to find. There are no complete specimens on the plate but plenty of stems and calyx plates scattered about. 

As a bonus, there is a small Archaeocrinus sp. crinoid off to one side of the plate. Thanks go out to Kevin B. for the ID on this small fossil (the calyx is maybe 1cm in width).

The Verulam formation is Ordovician in age (late Ordovician, Katian/Mohawkian stage).

Eldredgeops iowensis southworthi trilobite from the Widder formation

I don't often have luck finding trilobites as I am usually distracted by brachiopods and corals.  However a couple of years ago I managed to find the fossil shown below while searching near Arkona, Ontario.  It's a rare example of an enrolled Eldredgeops iowensis southworthi. 

Pics of the specimen as it was found, before cleaning.

It comes from the Hungry Hollow member of the Widder formation and the trilobites are often crushed like this one is. It still retains some 3D detail but the cephalon is all mushed up.  I wasn't even really looking for anything when I found this. I was talking to a friend and he joked that I should go find a trilobite. I glanced down at his feet and I saw this fossil sitting right on the surface. 

I gave the specimen to a friend of mine, M.T., who did a superb job of cleaning off the excess mud and matrix.

Pics in natural light

High contrast pictures

I collected this specimen from the Hungry Hollow member of the Widder formation which is Devonian is age, Givetian stage.

Climacograptus typicalis graptolite from the Whitby formation

As Climacograptus typicalis is the most common graptolite found at Bowmanville, and in my experience everywhere in the upper Ordovician, I should not be surprised to find it in the Collingswood member of the Whitby formation. I have only found one specimen so far and it is super hard to get a good photo of the black carbonaceous film on black shale. But in the second photo below you can see the square shape of the thecae where the animals lived.

The Whitby formation is Ordovician in age (late Ordovician, Katian/Mohawkian stage).
These fossils were collected from the St. Mary's Limestone Quarry in Bowmanville, Ontario. I used William Hessin's book "South Central Ontario Fossils", 2009, Self Published, pg. 263 to help identify these fossils.