The coiled cephalopod Tainoceras (Hyatt, 1883) has eluded me for years. They are missing due to a good cause; the rocks I pull specimens from are too old to have them. Most coiled cephalopods I pull out of the rocks are Metacoceras (Hyatt, 1883), which compete with Pseudorthoceras (Girty, 1911)Read More →
I started my research thinking this fossil was Mahoningoceras Murphy 1974, then later thought it was smashed, had straight flank sutures, and was a Millkoninckioceras Kummel 1963. I reversed this decision again after comparing it to Millkoninckioceras and refocused on Mahoningoceras. Yet, I received a photo of the holotype fromRead More →
Update: This is not a monospecific/monotypic genus. Some additional species are recently described in the mid-continent. I will add the references when I get time. The monospecific genus Pennoceras has a limited range, the Brush Creek and Pine Creek limestones in Pennsylvania and Ohio. These curious members of the GoniatitidaRead More →
Poterioceras curtum is a Pennsylvanian cephalopod first described by Meek & Worthen in 1860. I originally misidentified these as Ctenobactrites isogramma. This is not the first report of this species in Western Pennsylvania. A report from the Annals of the Carnegie Museum in 1947 features specimens from the Brush CreekRead More →
Finding specimens of the paleozoic cephalopod genus Domatoceras in local rocks is difficult. They exist, but the genera Metacoceras and Pseudorthoceras dominate the cephalopod fauna. They are large cephalopods with a narrow venter. The younger whorls are only slightly or not impressed into the umbilical walls. Big shells are hardRead More →
Finding a fossilized Ammonoid in the Appalachian Basin is a rare occurrence. I’ve managed to find only a handful over a large number of trips. I have recovered a single one from the Brush Creek limestone and four from the Pine Creek limestone in four years of collecting. Mapes etRead More →
Fossilized Paleozoic Ammonoids are a rare find in the Glenshaw Formation. When recovered, these specimens can be challenging to identify. I have recovered a few ammonoids, but as far as volume goes, the nautiloids rule the available fauna. I found my first ammonoid early, but I could not identify itRead More →
The extinct cephalopod Metacoceras clinocostatum is a species commonly found in Brush Creek limestone. Compared to other examples of the genus Metacoceras, it is very small in size. I was apprehensive about identifying these. In the past, I believed they were the inner whorls of larger specimens. But, these areRead More →
This specimen of Solenochilus was an interesting find in softened Brush Creek limestone material. The limestone can often be bisected as discovered in the ground. This is likely from stress fracturing. In between the fractures, I have mostly found clay. But the margins on each boulder can be softened andRead More →
If I find a large convolute cephalopod in local Brush Creek Limestone, it’s usually the genus Metacoceras. Each find is a unique opportunity to study the genus as a whole. It’s the luck of the draw that determines how each will present itself, once a rock hammer breaks open aRead More →