Alaskazygopleura gastropod from Germany

This tiny fossil is an Alaskazygopleura eifelia from the Cürten Formation near Sötenich, Germany (Devonian, Givetian stage). It's wee size makes it difficult to get a good picture of it but you can see the concentric growth lines that help to ID it.

Specimen #1

Specimen #2

These are a shorter version of the Paleozygopleura sp., like this one, that I find in the Mahantango formation of Pennsylvania. Thanks to Nils who sent me the fossil!

Chonetes sp. brachiopod from Germany

These next specimens are a species of Chonetes that come from the Kerpen mbr. of the Cürten Formation (Devonian, Givetian stage) near Sötenich, Germany. They resemble the Devonochonetes scitulus that I find in my local Devonian rocks such as the Mahantango Formation of Pennsylvania or the Arkona and Widder Formations in Ontario.

Specimen #1 Pedicle valve

Anterior

Brachial valve

Posterior

Profile

Specimen #2 Pedicle valve

Anterior

Brachial valve

Posterior

Profile

Thanks to Nils for the specimens.

Spinatrypa curvirostra brachiopod from Germany

Spinatrypa curvirostra is a species of brachiopod from the Rodert member of the Cürten Formation (Devonian, Givetian stage) near Sötenich, Germany. I can directly compare it to specimens of S. spinoa from the Windom shale of New York (with and without spines preserved) as well as S. aspera from Poland and S. rockfordensis from Iowa. It is generally smaller and less robust than most specimens I have found in the Windom shale but retains the same general look with it's growth lines that resemble pie crust.

Specimen #1 Brachial valve

Anterior

Pedicle valve

Posterior

Profile

Specimen #2 Brachial valve

Anterior

Pedicle valve

Posterior

Profile

Thanks to Nils for these specimens.

Undispirider givefex brachiopod from Germany

Another of the fossils that Nils sent me as part of our exchange is this Undispirider givefex from the Rodert member of the Cürten Formation (Devonian, Givetian stage) near Sötenich, Germany.

Superficially it resembles and Athryis type brachiopod but there are some minor plications present that help distinguish it.

Specimen #1 Pedicle valve

Anterior

Brachial valve

Posterior

Profile

Specimen #2 Brachial valve

Anterior

Pedicle valve

Posterior

Profile

Thanks go out to Nils for these fossils.

Athyris tumida brachiopod from Sötenich, Germany

Another new Athyris species that I received in my exchange with Nils is this Athyris tumida from the Rodert member of the Cürten Formation (Devonian, Givetian stage) near Sötenich, Germany. This is a more robust species that A. amanshauseri or A. spiriferoides with the shell being nearly as tall as it is wide.

Pedicle valve

Anterior

Brachial valve

Posterior

Profile

Thank you Nils for this fossil.

Athyris amanshauseri brachiopod from Sötenich, Germany

I recently completed a trade with a new friend in Germany. He sent me a number of fossils from the Devonian rocks of Germany in exchange for some of my fossils from New York and Ontario. I was quite excited when I saw the specimens below were Athyris as it gives me another species to compare to A. spiriferoides from New York, A vittata from Michigan.

This is Athyris amanshauseri (Spriesterbach 1935) and it comes from the Rodert member of the Cürten Formation (Devonian, Givetian stage) near Sötenich, Germany. My first impressions are that is has a similar width to A. spiriferoides but the growth lines on the shell are more pronounced and even overlapping like scale mail armor. You can see this effect best in the picture of the pedicle valve below. A. spiriferoides has a similar growth pattern in it's shell however it is most often see near the edges of the shell rather than towards the middle as in these specimens.

Brachial valve

Anterior

Pedicle valve

Posterior

Profile

This second specimen of A. amanshauseri has a bit of Fenestella like bryozoan that was fossilized along with the shell.

Brachial valve

Anterior

Pedicle valve

Posterior

Profile

Thanks to Nils for these fossils.