KYANA Mississippian Fossils

MISSISSIPPIAN FOSSILS FROM KENTUCKY, INDIANA & SURROUNDING STATES

Mississippian Period (Lower Carboniferous)

Known as the "Age of Crinoids". This period spanned approximately 360-320 million years ago during the Paleozoic Era. It was named for the exposed rocks in the Mississippian River valley near St. Louis by geologist Alexander Winchell in 1870. It is called the Lower Carboniferous period by geologists outside the United States. That name is derived from the Latin "carbo" meaning coal and carboniferous means "coal-bearing". Rock in the Louisville area pertaining to this period are listed from oldest to youngest. The first two are Early Mississippian (Kinderhookian): Jacobs Chapel Shale, Rockford Limestone (very thin). The rest of the rocks are of Middle Mississippian age (Osagean): Borden Formation which is subdivided into the New Providence Shale (which include Coral Ridge Member and Button Mold Knob Member), Kenwood Slitstone, Nancy Member (Rosewood shale in some references) and Holtsclaw Slitstone (both make up the Brodhead Formation in some references), Muldraugh Formation, (Meramecean) Harrodsburg Limestone (Warsaw in older references), and Salem/Warsaw Limestone (which includes the Somerset Shale Member in the lower part of the Salem).

Mississippian formations in adjacent counties west or south of the Louisville area are in ascending order. Middle Mississippian (Meramecian): St. Louis Limestone and Ste. Genevieve Limestone. Upper Mississippian (Chesterian): Paoli Limestone, Bethel Formation (Indiana), Beaver Bend Limestone, Sample Sandstone, Reelsville Limestone, Elwren Formation, Beech Creek Limestone, Big Clifty Sandstone, Haney Limestone (together the Big Clifty and Haney are sometimes called the Golconda Formation), Hardinsburg Sandstone, Glen Dean Limestone, Tar Springs Sandstone, Vienna Limestone, Buffalo Wallow Formation and Kinkaid Limestone. The last four are combined and called the Leitchfield Formation. In eastern Kentucky the Mississippian formations generally have different names.

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Sponges (Porifera)

Hexactinellid sponge, root tufts, Middle Mississippian, Muldraugh Formation, Hardin Co., KY

Hexactinellid sponge, spicules, Middle Mississippian, Muldraugh Formation,, Hardin Co., KY

Sponge spicule, Middle Mississippian, Salem Limestone, Floyd Co., IN

Corals and Hydrozoans (Cnidaria)

Acrocyathus sp. St. Louis Formation, Lincoln Co., KY

Conularia sp. Borden Formation, Jefferson Co., KY

Paraconularia sp. Middle Mississippian, Coral Ridge Member, New Providence Shale, Jefferson Co., KY

Paraconularia sp. Middle Mississippian, Coral Ridge Member, New Providence Shale, Jefferson Co., KY

Unknown Horn Coral - Indian Springs Shale, Sulphur, Crawford Co., IN

Bryozoans (moss animals)

Archimedes sp. bifurcated, Upper Mississippian, Indian Springs Shale, Sulphur, Crawford Co., IN

Archimedes sp., Upper Mississippian, Indian Springs Formation, Sulphur, Crawford Co., IN

Archimedes sp., Indian Creek Shale, Harrison Co., IN

Cystodictya lineata Middle Mississippian, Ulrich - Salem Limestone, Elizabethtown, Hardin Co., KY

Fenestella sp., Middle Mississippian, Salem Limestone, Floyd Co., IN

Fenestrate, Middle Mississippian, St. Louis Limestone, Corydon, Harrison Co., IN

Lioclema sp., Middle Mississippian, Button Mold Knob Member, New Providence Shale, Jefferson Co., KY

Polypora sp., Middle Mississippian, Salem Limestone, Floyd Co., IN

Rhombopora bedfordensis Cumings & Beede, Middle Mississippian, Salem Limestone, Floyd Co., IN

Brachiopods

Beecheria formosa (Hall) Middle Mississippian, Salem Limestone, Floyd Co., IN

Eumetria verneuiliana Hall Middle Mississippian, Salem Limestone, Floyd Co., IN

Marginrugous magnus (Meek & Worthen), Harrodsburg Limestone, Harrodsburg, Monroe Co., IN

Orbiculoidea sp. (inarticulate), attached to crinoid stem, pyrite-replaced, Coral Ridge Member, New Providence Shale, Jefferson Co., KY

Orthotetes keokuk (Hall), Borden Formation, Borden, Clark Co., IN

Punctospirifer depressus Wax, KY

Spirifer sp., New Providence Formation, Button Mold Knob Member, Coral Ridge, Jefferson Co., KY

Trilobites (Arthropoda)

Phillibole conkini (Hessler), pyritized, Middle Mississippian, Coral Ridge Mbr. New Providence Formation, Jefferson Co., KY

Phillibole sp. Morehead., KY

Snails (Gastropods/Mollusca)

Bellerophon sp. Morehead., KY

Mourlonia sp. Morehead., KY

Solenospira turritella (Hall) Middle Mississippian, Salem Limestone, Floyd Co., IN

Unknown Snail, Fort Payne Formation, Lake Cumberland, Wayne Co., KY

Clams (Pelecypods/Mollusca)

Microdon subellipticus? Whitfield, Middle Mississippian, Salem Limestone, Floyd Co., IN

Myalina sp. with fenestrate bryozoans, Middle Mississippian, St. Louis Formation, Meade Co., KY

Cephalopods (Mollusca)

Cantabricanites? greenei (Miller), Goniatite, Middle Mississippian, Coral Ridge Member, New Providence Formation, Jefferson Co., KY

Coiled Cephalopod geodized, New Providence Formation, Bullitt Co., KY

Muensteroceras paralleum Kinderhookian Formation, Rockford Limestone, Rockford, IN

Polaricyclus ballardensis (McKenzie), Goniatite, Middle Mississippian, Coral Ridge Member, New Providence Formation, Clark Co., IN

Polaricyclus ballardensis (McKenzie), Goniatite, Middle Mississippian, Coral Ridge Member, New Providence Formation, Clark Co., IN

Sliced Cephalopod, Brodhead Formation, Horsefly Hollow, Bullitt Co., KY

Winchelloceras knappi Work & Mason, Goniatite, Middle Mississippian, Coral Ridge Member, New Providence Formation, Clark Co., IN

Crinoids (Echinodermata)

Abatocrinus grandis Fort Payne Formation, Lake Cumberland, Wayne Co., KY

Actinocrinites? sp. with a small Scytalocrinus robustus (Hall) on the upper one

Agaricocrinus sp. calyx, Fort Payne Formation, Burkesville, KY

Agaricocrinus sp. calyx, Fort Payne Formation, Lake Cumberland, Wayne Co., KY

Alloprosallocrinus conicus and Eretmocrinus magnificus Fort Payne Formation, Lake Cumberland, Wayne Co., KY

Alloprosallocrinus sp. calyx, Fort Payne Formation, Portland, TN

Batocrinus sp. Fort Payne Formation, Lake Cumberland, Wayne Co., KY

Batocrinus icosadactylus Fort Payne Formation, Lake Cumberland, Wayne Co., KY

Cactocrinus sp. Fort Payne Formation, Lake Cumberland, Wayne Co., KY

Dizygocrinus indianaensis calyx Fort Payne Formation, Lake Cumberland, Wayne Co., KY

Dizygocrinus indianaensis bottom of calyx Fort Payne Formation, Lake Cumberland, Wayne Co., KY

Dorycrinus sp. calyx, Fort Payne Formation, Portland, Sumner Co., TN

Eretmocrinus praegravis Fort Payne Formation, Lake Cumberland, Wayne Co., KY

Eretmocrinus sp. calyx, Fort Payne Formation, Goose Creek, Clinton Co., KY

Eucladocrinus sp.the little one on the left is a Platycrinites sp.

Eucladocrinus kentuckensis Fort Payne Formation, Lake Cumberland, Wayne Co., KY

Gilbertsocrinus tuberosus (Lyon & Casseday) with Cladochonus sp. coral in upper left

Onychocrinus ulrichi? Miller & Gurley with the twisted column being a Platycrinites sp.

Pachyocrinus aequalis (Hall) Borden Group, Muldraugh Formation, Crawfordsville, Montgomery Co., IN

Paradichocrinus sp. Fort Payne Formation, Lake Cumberland, Wayne Co., KY

Platycrinites sp. calyx, Fort Payne Formation, Burkesville, KY

Teleocrinus umbrosus calyx, Fort Payne Formation, Lake Cumberland, Wayne Co., KY

Teleocrinus umbrosus bottom of calyx, Fort Payne Formation, Lake Cumberland, Wayne Co., KY

Teleocrinus umbrosus top of calyx, Fort Payne Formation, Lake Cumberland, Wayne Co., KY

Uperocrinus pyriformis Fort Payne Formation, Lake Cumberland, Wayne Co., KY

Zeacrinites sp. slightly crushed, Upper Mississippian, Indian Springs Shale Member, Big Clifty Formation, Crawford Co., IN

Blastoids (Echinodermata)

Granatocrinus kentuckyensis (Conkin) New Providence Shale, Jefferson Co., KY

Pentremites buttsi Ulrich - with fluorite encrustation, Deardoff Mine Dump, Hardin Co., Illinois

Pentremites conoideus Hall ambulacral plate, Middle Mississippian, Salem Limestone, Floyd Co., IN

Pentremites godoni -Wax, KY

Pentremites patei, Ulrich with defective ambulacral groove, Upper Mississippian, Indian Springs Shale, Big Clifty Formation, Crawford Co., IN

Pentremites pulchellus -Wax, KY

Pentremites pyriformes -Wax, KY

Pentremites sp. - Indian Springs Shale, Sulphur, Crawford Co., IN

Pentremites symmetricus Hall - Indian Springs Shale, Sulphur, Crawford Co., IN

Pentremites welleri Ulrich - Indian Springs Shale, Sulphur, Crawford Co., IN

Tricoelocrinus woodmani (Meek & Worthen) Salem Limestone, Lanesville, Harrison Co., IN

Trace Fossils

Unidentified Trilobite Trails, Branchville, Perry Co., IN

Vertebrata: Pisces (Fish)

Oracanthus sp. shark fin spine, Salem Formation, Georgetown, Floyd Co., IN

Petalodus acuminatus shark tooth, Mississippian, Haney Formation, Sulphur, Crawford Co., IN

Petalodus sp. shark tooth, Middle Mississippian, Salem Limestone, Washington Co., IN

Symmorium sp. shark tooth, Upper Mississippian, Indian Springs Shale Member, Big Clifty Formation, Crawford Co., IN

Symmorium sp. shark tooth, Middle Mississippian, Muldraugh Formation, Hardin Co., IN

Unidentified Fish Spine? Indian Springs Formation, Sulphur, Crawford Co., Indiana

Plant

Unidentified Plant

Other

Lingula sp. Morehead., KY

Spirorbus annulatus Hall Annelid, Middle Mississippian, Salem Limestone, Floyd Co., IN

A Note About Fossil Names

Fossils are named like any other biological species. The genus and trivial name (i.e., Auloceras + undulata) equals the species name. The author's last name is in parenthesis (Billings) if the genus name has been changed. It is not in parenthesis if the genus name is the original designation, such as Favosites niagarensis Hall. A subgenus will be noted like this: Favosites (Emmonsia) emmonsi Rominger. In this example the subgenus is Emmonsia. It was originally designated its own genus name, but recent research has folded it back into the genus Favosites. If the species name is not known, you will see an "sp." after the genus name (i.e., Cyclonema sp.). Names of fossils often seem to be in a state of flux, but that is the nature of research. We strive to place the most up-to-date names we can find with photos on our web site.

Abbreviations

Some abbreviations are used to make the entries smaller. They are Co. for County, KY for Kentucky, IN for Indiana, OH for Ohio, and TN for Tennessee.

Last Updated: 02/12/2011 - Fossil drawings © Michael Popp, 2009