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Sunday, March 30, 2014

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!

Friday, March 28, 2014

Pleuronococeras sp. cephalopod from Germany

The specimen below is of a Nautiloid called Pleuronococeras sp. and comes from the Ahbach formation (Devonian, Givetian stage) near Üxheim, Germany. Pleuronococeras is an open coiled species of Cephalopod that looked like a bracelet if one were to excavate a good specimen. This fossil is mostly crushed but still is a good example of the species. You can see that the crushed segments had some decoration on them in the form of linear growths parallel to the shell direction.




Thanks to Nils for the fossil. I don't have too many non-straight nautiloids from the Devonian in my collection.

Wednesday, March 26, 2014

Favosites sp. coral from Germany

Here is a specimen of Favosites sp. from the Nims member of the Junkerberg Formation (Devonian, Eifelian stage) near Rommersheim, Germany. It has a variety of calice sizes which kind of reminds me of Favosites argus.

Specimen #1





Specimen #2


Thanks to Nils for these fossils.

Monday, March 24, 2014

Spinocyrtia ostiolata brachiopod from Germany

From the farm fields around Gondelsheim, Germany come these Spinocyrtia ostiolata brachiopods. The fossils come from the Giesdorf mbr. of the Junkerberg Formation and are turned up as the farmers till their fields.

Specimen #1 Brachial valve
Anterior
Pedicle valve
Posterior
Profile

Specimen #2 Brachial valve
Anterior
Pedicle valve
Posterior
Profile


I don't have any specimens of Spinocyrtia from my collections to compare to these fossils. This is due partly to me learning how to tell them apart from similarly shaped Spirferida like Mediospifier. I do have a specimen from Spain that I have posted about previously, although it looks completely different from these German specimens.

Thanks to Nils for the specimens.

Saturday, March 22, 2014

Kransia pentagona brachiopod from Germany

Kransia pentagona is a small Rhynchonellid type brachiopod from the Hallert mbr. of the Ahbach Formation (Devonian, Givetian stage) near Blankenheim, Germany. It resembles Uncinulus sp. like brachiopods such as Sphaerirhynchia from the Haragan Formation of Oklahoma and Primipilaria primipilaris from Poland.

Specimen #1 Brachial valve
Anterior
Pedicle valve
Posterior
Profile

Specimen #2 Brachial valve
Anterior
Pedicle valve
Posterior
Profile

Thanks to Nils for these specimens.

Thursday, March 20, 2014

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.

Tuesday, March 18, 2014

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.