Wilkingia, dorsal margin with metric scale

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In: Collection Pieces, Limestone

Catalog Number: CG-0012 My first Wilkingia find was in soft eroded matrix. I found this specimen while exploring a new locale. A 6 foot by 2 1/2 foot by 7 inch thick slab of limestone that was only 6 inches from the stream bed. With help, I slowly removed soilRead More →

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In: Bryozoans, Collection Pieces, Limestone

While I have many sources of limestone locally, this specimen of Fenestella was one of my first finds in a new location. A limestone ridge cropped above the stream across the valley floor to the other side. So, while I’ve likely encountered many bryozoans in limestone, this is the firstRead More →

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In: Cephalopods, Limestone, Nautiloids

Update: Mooreoceras is no longer considered a valid genus. Kröger and Mapes (2005) compared more than 1,000 specimens and found that its type species, M. normale, cannot be separated from Pseudorthoceras knoxense. Specimens I once called Mooreoceras are now catalogued as P. knoxense. More on the Pseudorthoceras page. I amRead More →

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In: Cephalopods, Limestone

This specimen came from eroded limestone. It was very light and fragile. The sections averaged about 2.5mm in width. Identification currently is unknown, however it does appear to be a straight shelled species. Eroded Limestone Most of the limestone exposed to the outside environment has an eroded edge. I amRead More →

Cephalopod found in Pennsylvanian Limestone

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In: Collection Pieces, Limestone, Pinnidae, Sea Pens

Update:This specimen is Allopinna godleskya Yancey 2024. When I found it, I was not aware of members of the pinnidae and thought it was an odd cephalopod. The “tube” I described below is a steinkern of the empty space left by the hinge on this large upright bivalve. I wasRead More →

Crinoid Columnal Lumen

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In: Mid-Hill Shale

Crinoid columnal fossils are very common in my digging locale. After finding a mollusc in the shale/limestone boundary above the limestone layer within the mid level shale pit, I noticed a tiny deep slot in the rock matrix. For whatever reason, the original crinoid had eroded away and only theRead More →

Lepidodendron on white background

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In: Collection Pieces, Gilpin Towships, Plants
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My daughter found this Lepidodendron specimen during a quick expedition to explore exposed shale along a steep roadside hill. It was lying alongside the road on a raised dirt pile on top of the soil. PennDot probably unearthed this while making road repairs. This piece is from the neighboring GilpinRead More →

Brachiopod Steinkern

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In: Brachiopods, Collection Pieces, Limestone

Catalog Number: CG-0008 Update: This has been identified as Eomarginifera longispinus. This specimen came out with more detail than I’ve ever seen in a Brachiopod locally. I was knocking off eroded edges from a large piece of limestone when this showed up. Surprisingly, I was able to wiggle the specimenRead More →

Macroneuropteris

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In: Collection Pieces, Mid-Hill Shale, Plants

Macroneuropteris is a seed plant that has a temporal range only in the Carboniferous. I found this specimen in the talus near the lab. Most specimens I find are of small leaves, or large pieces of bark. This was more certainly a large leaf. I wanted to show the leafRead More →