Unicinulus stricklandi from the Osgood Shale

Another new brachiopod for me from the Waldron Osgood Shale is Unicinulus stricklandi. This specimen was found near Napoleon, IN and is from rocks deposited during the Silurian (Telychian to Sheinwoodian stage).

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This brachiopod is easy to ID based on the triangular outline of the valves and the general rounded nature of the shell. Some other species within the genera almost look like spheres.

Thanks to Mike over at Louisville Fossils for the helpful Waldron Shale brachiopod guide which is also useful for Osgood shale ID's.

Eospirifer radiatus from the Waldron Shale

The somewhat water-worn specimen below is, I believe, Eospirifer radiatus. I found it among the cobbles and stones in a creek at Tunnel Mill near Vernon, IN. It's a little worse for wear but you can still see the fine radiating lines on the surface of the shell. That and the shell size are a hallmarks for the species.

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The Tunnel Mill locality features the Waldron shale as a narrow band of fossiliferous rock that is frequently washed by the Muscatatuck River. By searching in the downstream gravels you can find fossils that have eroded out. The Waldron shale is Silurian in age (Sheinwoodian to Homerian).

Resserella elegantula from Lockport, NY

The brachiopod below I believe is a Resserella elegantula from the Irondequoit limestone Rochester Shale near Lockport, NY. I base this upon pictures that are posted on the website "Primitive Worlds". It is a relatively flat brachiopod and reminds me a little of the Ordovician genera Dalmanella multisecta.

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The Irondequoit limestone Rochester Shale is about 427 myo (Silurian, Sheinwoodian stage)

Whitfieldella from Lockport, NY

Whitfieldella is a common brachiopod found in Silurian aged strata. This specimen come from the Irondequoit limestone Rochester Shale (Sheinwoodian stage) near Lockport, NY.

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The species ID of Whitfieldella nitida is likely not too far off. I'm basing the ID on pictures posted on the Primitve Worlds website.

Eospirifer eudora from the Osgood Shale

In my last post I displayed a Eospirifer eudora from Lockport, NY. Today I have two specimens that I found in the Waldron Osgood Shale near Napoleon, IN.

Specimen 1
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Specimen 2
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Both specimens are larger than the one from Lockport, NY. The Waldron Osgood Shale is Silurian in age (Telychian to Sheinwoodian stage) and found in an area from Indiana down to Alabama. It is correlated to the Rochester Shale of New York and slightly younger than the Irondequoit limestone where the Lockport, NY specimen came from.

Thanks to Mike over at Louisville Fossils for the helpful Waldron Shale brachiopod guide. This guide is also useful to ID specimens from the Osgood Shale as they share some species.