Catalog Number: CG-0010
This specimen is a Sea Pen. Originally, I was classifying local Sea Pen fossils as Pteronites, however over the past 50 years, the naming has started to change. The type species Pteronites was originally named for species found in England (McCoy 1842).
In 1978, a new branch named Meekopinna (Yancey 1978) was created.
At first, maybe Bactrites
At first, I thought this was possibly Bactrites, but the identification did not hold up. The specimen has been worked with the air chisel for a good amount of time, but it was getting more difficult to separate shell material from matrix. Another possible identification was a species of sea pen, such as Pteronites. The specimen appeared to have chambers at first. Later, research determined these were not cephalopod chambers.
Detail of the tube
Earlier Photos
More About the Prismatic Layer
More Reading about Sea Pens
- Anelli, Luiz & Rocha-Campos, Antonio & Simoes, Marcello. (2006). Pennsylvanian Pteriomorphian bivalves from the Piaui Formation, Parnaiba Basin, Brazil. Journal of Paleontology – J PALEONTOL. 80. 1125-1141. 10.1666/0022-3360(2006)80[1125:PPBFTP]2.0.CO;2.