The coiled cephalopod Tainoceras Hyatt, 1883 has eluded me for years. They are missing for a good reason: the rocks I pull specimens from are too old to have them. Most coiled cephalopods I pull out of the rocks are from the genus Metacoceras Hyatt, 1883, which compete with PseudorthocerasRead 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 →
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 mostly medium to large coiled nautiloids with compressed whorls whose flanks converge toward a narrow, flattened venter. The whorls barely overlap, leaving onlyRead More →
Finding a fossilized Ammonoid in the Appalachian Basin is rare. I’ve found only a handful over many trips. Myron Sturgeon, who built the Ohio collection, found about one ammonoid for every 15 to 25 collecting trips. I have recovered a single one from the Brush Creek limestone and four fromRead 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 →
Without a doubt, the genus Metacoceras is one of the two most common cephalopod genera found locally. This particular specimen preserves inner chambers. It did split in half while I was recovering it, but to my surprise, everything remained intact. Individual septal wall/suture lines can be seen on close inspection.Read More →
This Solenochilus, an extinct genus of paleozoic cephalopod, was found today (Late August 2020) after splitting a piece of float limestone half-buried in the mud at creek level upstream in Guffy Run. The rock was three inches thick and had a long rectangular shape. A heavy blow to the centerRead More →