Cnemidiastrum stellatum from Poland

Following up on my previous post, here is another sponge that I think is Cnemidiastrum stellatum. It is from near Zalas, Poland and is also from the Jurassic (Oxfordian stage) like the previous specimen.

These are views of the sides of this conical shaped specimen.

I'm guessing the large hole on the side is the result of another creature living within the structure of the sponge?

Top surface

Detail of the upper portion

Cnemidiastrum rimulosum sponge from Poland

I've not displayed many sponges on this blog with the only other instance being these specimens from the Waldron Shale. Below is a specimen from the Jurassic of Poland. I purchased it from a seller on E-bay. I think it's classified as a Cnemidiastrum rimulosum but I could be wrong.

Top

Side profile

Underside

Side detail

Rim detail

Inner surface detail

This fossil came from near Zalas, Poland and comes from Oxfordian stage (Jurassic) rocks.

Belemnopsis sp. from Poland

Belemnites are a fascinating group of Cephalopods and among my favorite fossils. They looked like modern squid and were related to Ammonites but they had a hardened internal shell called a rostrum. Their (possibly) closest modern relative is the cuttlefish which has a similar internal structure. They were most abundant during the Jurassic and Cretaceous periods and died out about 65 mya. Here are a couple of specimens of Belemnopsis sp. from near Olkusz, Poland.

Specimen #1 is a small guy that I suspect is a juvenile since the fossil tapers more rapidly and is shorter than the other two.

Specimen #2 seems to be a typical size and length. note the divot that runs down the center of the shell surface.

As is typical of many Belemnite specimens this is broken before the phragmocone. Were that intact the shell would be several inches longer. The phragmocone was a hollow area of the shell similar to the chambers of the ammonite shell. It was used to help control buoyancy with a combination of gasses and liquids. Note that the cross section is not perfectly round.

Specimen #3 is the longest of the specimens I have and is interesting because it has oyster spats preserved on it's exterior. In order for this to occur the rostrum would need to be exposed on the sea floor after the organic tissue surrounding it had rotted away. The exposed rostrum then would be an ideal hard surface for an oyster to attach.

 I interpret the dimple in the center of the cross section below as the start of the phragmocone.

These fossils come from rocks dated to the Callovian stage of the Jurassic. There is a really great article posted by Phil Eyden here that goes into much more detail about Belemnites. I thought it was interesting to note that studies have indicated that many Belemnites only lived for a handful of years. This would explain why they are so common in the Mesozoic fossil record.

Dagnachonetes supragibbosus brachiopod from Poland

This next fossil is also from the Skaly beds near Kielce, Poland and I think it's Dagnachonetes supragibbosus. I base this from pictures that I've found on Polish language web sites like http://www.redbor.pl/skamienialosci/0_dewon.htm and http://www.skamielinyjm.entro.pl/dewon_srodkowy-68-p.html and from the publication "Middle Devonian Brachiopods of the Bodzentyn Syncline", Palaeontologia Polonica-No. 17, 1966, plate XIV.

Pedicle valve

Anterior

Brachial valve

Posterior

Profile

This picture shows a slight sulcus like depression that is present on this specimen.

The Skaly beds are middle Devonian,  Eifelian to Givetian stages.

Eoreticularia aviceps brachiopod from Poland

Here is a fossil brachiopod called Eoreticularia aviceps. This is a specimen that came with the other fossils from near Kielce, Poland, and for the life of me it looks like a Theodossia sp. brachiopod.

Pedicle valve

Anterior

Brachial valve

Posterior

Profile

This specimen came from the Skaly beds near Kielce, Poland. the Skaly beds are dated to the middle Devonian (Eifelian to Givetian stages).

Devonaria zeuschneri brachiopod from Poland

Based on pictures that I've found on Polish language web sites like http://www.redbor.pl/skamienialosci/0_dewon.htm and http://www.skamielinyjm.entro.pl/dewon_srodkowy-68-p.html and from the publication "Middle Devonian Brachiopods of the Bodzentyn Syncline", Palaeontologia Polonica-No. 17, 1966, plate XVI, I'm calling this fossil Devonaria zeuschneri. It looks similar to Douvillina but the radial ribs are much coarser.

Pedicle valve

Anterior

Brachial valve

Posterior

Profile

The specimen comes from the Skaly beds (Devonian, Eifelian to Givetian stages) near Kielce, Poland.

A few corals from the Skaly beds of Poland

Also included with the lot of fossils from the Skaly beds were a few corals. I can't seem to locate much English language literature that would help to ID them unfortunately.

Specimen #1
This fossil reminds me of an Eridophyllum sp. type coral. The calice is crushed so I can't really see a cross section. 

The next two specimens are solitary rugose corals
Specimen #2

Specimen #3

And finally we have a couple of nicely detailed Calceola sandalina specimens.
Specimen #4

Specimen #5

All the above specimens come from the Skaly beds (Devonian, Eifelian to Givetian stages) near Kielce, Poland.