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ORDOVICIAN FOSSILS FROM KENTUCKY, INDIANA & SURROUNDING STATES

Ordovician Period


This period spanned approximately 505-438 million years ago during the Paleozoic era. It was defined by Charles Lapworth in 1879 and is named after a Welsh tribe called the Ordovices. In Kentucky, southeast Indiana and southwest Ohio the Upper Ordovician is called the Cincinnatian and is the main study area of this age in the Americas. This rock is from 458 to 438 million years old. On the eastern side of Louisville/Jefferson County, fossils of this age can be found in road cuts and creek beds. Central Kentucky (around Lexington) has Middle Ordovician rocks from 468 to 458 million years ago.

This web site, http://www.uga.edu/strata/cincy/strata/LithostratOverview.html describes the various Upper Ordovician rock types in the region. Please refer to it with the descriptions for the rock formations from this time.

Learn more about the Upper Ordovician by referring to this book The Upper Ordovician Rocks of Kentucky and their Bryozoa restored by Kentucky Paleological Society on their website at this link

Also a number of good sources about Ordovician fossils can be found at the Dry Dredgers website of Cincinnati, Ohio.

Scroll down this web page and select a name of a particular fossil to view the image on its own page. Use the internet browser's back button to return to this page once through viewing the image. Some images maybe larger that resolution of the display so click on the image to expand it.

 

spongeSponges (Porifera)

Auloceras undulata (Billings) Drakes Formation, Spencer Co., KY

Dystactospongia madisonensis Foerste, Upper Ordovician, Whitewater Formation, Madison 'Reef', Madison, Jefferson Co., IN

Heterospongia? sp. Upper Ordovician, Bull Fork Formation, Springfield, Washington Co., KY

Heterospongia? sp. Upper Ordovician, Whitewater Formation, Madison 'Reef', Madison, Jefferson Co., IN

Labechia huronensis stromatoporoid, Ordovician, KY

 


coralCorals (Cnidaria)

Calapoecia sp. Ordovician, KY

Cyathophylloides cf. C. burksae Upper Ordovician, Drakes Formation, Bardstown Member, Jefferson Co., KY

Grewingkia canadensis (Billings) Borings maybe made by Trypanites weisi (Mägdefrau), Upper Ordovician, Drakes Formation, Bardstown Member, Jeffersontown, Jefferson Co., KY

Grewingkia rusticum (Billings) Liberty Formation - Middletown, KY

Foerstiphyllum vacuum? (Foerste) Ordovician, KY

Foerstephyllum vacuum (Foerste), Upper Ordovician, Drake Formation, Taylorsville Lake, Spencer Co., KY

Protarea richmondensis Foerste and horn coral Streptelasma divacans Nicholson Liberty Formation, Madison, Jefferson Co, IN

Saffordophyllum? Foerste Ordovician, KY


bryozoanBryozoans (moss animals)

Constellaria sp. Genus is characterized by star-shaped monticules,Upper Ordovician, Kope Formation, Carrollton, Carroll Co., KY

Cuffeyella arachnoidea (Hall) Grant Lake Formation, Taylorsville Lake, Spencer Co., KY

Dekayia ulrichia (Nicholson), Upper Ordovician, Kope Formation, Jefferson Co., IN

Heterotrypa subfrondosa (Cumings), Upper Ordovician, Fairmount Formation, Carroll Co., KY

Homotrypa dawsoni (Ulrich), Upper Ordovician, Waynesville Formation, Madison, Jefferson Co., IN

Monticulipora mammulata, (d'Orbigny) McMillan Formation, Hwy 127, Owenton, Owen Co., KY

Monticulipora mammulata, (d'Orbigny) encrusting a Rafinequina brachiopod, Upper Ordovician, Fairview Formation, Gallitin Co., KY

Monticulipora mammulata, (d'Orbigny) Ordovician, KY

Parvohallopora dalei (Milne-Edwards & Haime), Upper Ordovician, Fairview Formation, Jefferson Co., IN

Parvohallopora onealli (James), Part of a collapsed colony nearly a meter wide, Upper Ordovician, Kope Formation, Worthville, Carroll Co., KY

Praspora simulatrix (Ulrich), Lexington Limestone (Jessamine Formation), Frankfort, Franklin Co., KY

Unknown Bryozoan, Middle Ordovician, Cynthiana Limestone, Scott Co., KY

Unknown Bryozoan, Upper Ordovician, Kope Formation, Carroll Co., KY


brachiopodBrachiopods

Hiscobeccus capax (Conrad), Grant Lake Formation, Taylorsville Lake, Spencer Co., KY

Leptaena richmondensis Ordovician, KY

Petrocrania scabiosa (Hall) inarticulate brachiopod on Rafinesquina, Ordovician, KY

Philhedra laelia (Hall) encrusting bryozoan, Upper Ordovician, Fairmount Formation, Gallatin Co., KY

Platystrophia clarksvillensis Ordovician, KY

Platystrophia ponderosa Ulrich, Ordovician, KY

Platystrophia ponderosa Ulrich, McMillan Formation, Spencer Co., KY

Rafinesquina ponderosa Ulrich with inarticulate br. Petrocrania scabiosa (Hall), Fairmount Formation, Gallatin Co., KY

Rafinesquina ponderosa Ulrich Ordovician, KY

Retrorostra carleyi (Hall) Upper Ordovician, index fossil for Arnheim Formation, Madison, Jefferson Co., IN

Strophomena nutans Meek Ordovician, KY

Trematis millipunctata (Hall), Grant Lake Formation, Taylorsville, Spencer Co., KY, from Falls of Ohio State Park Collection

Zygospira modesta Ordovician, KY


isotelus trilobiteTrilobites (Arthropoda)

Cryptolithus bellus (Ulrich) KYANA field trip May 2008, Southgate Member of Eden Formation, Worthville, Carroll Co., KY

Cryptolithus bellus (Ulrich), Southgate Member of Eden Formation, Washington Co., KY

Flexicalymene granulosa (Foreste) enrolled specimen, Upper Ordovician, Kope Formation, Carroll Co., KY

Flexicalymene meeki (Foerste) enrolled, Upper Ordovician, Waynesville Formation, Monroe, OH

Isotelus brachycephalus Foerste Arnheim, Mt. Orab, Brown Co., OH

Isotelus maximus (Locke) Grant Lake Formation, Taylorsville Lake Road, Spencer Co., KY

Isotelus sp. Middle Ordovician, Lexington Limestone, Bluegrass Parkway, Woodford Co., KY


snailSnails (Gastropods/Mollusca)

Clathrospira sp. Ordovician, KY

Clathrospira sp. Ordovician, KY

Cyrtolites (Paracyrtolites) carinatus (Miller) monoplacophoran, Upper Ordovician, Kope Formation, Carrollton, Carroll Co., KY

Cyclonema bilix Ordovician, KY

Lioclema micula (Hall) Upper Ordovician, Kope Formation, Carrollton, Carroll Co., KY

Liospira steinkern, Upper Ordovician, Kope Formation, Carrollton, Carroll Co., KY

Loxoplocus bowdeni (Safford) (in 1999 Wagner renamed this genus Paupospira) Ordovician, KY

Salpingostoma sp. Upper Ordovician, Grant Lake Formation, Nelson Co., KY

Sinuites sp. monoplacophoran, Ordovician, KY

Sinuites sp. monoplacophoran, notice the "V" shaped slit, rarely preserved in this genus, most are steinkerns - internal casts, Upper Ordovician, Kope Formation, Carrollton, Carroll Co., KY


clamClams (Pelecypods/Mollusca)

Ambonychia robusta Miller Grant Lake Formation, Taylorsville Lake, Spencer Co., KY

Ambonychia robusta (or could be Anomalodonta gigantea Miller) Ordovician, KY

Caritodens demissa (Conrad) Upper Ordovician, Arnheim Formation, Madison, Jefferson Co., IN

Deceptrix filistriata (Ulrich), one side shows the dentition, Upper Ordovician, Kope Formation, Carrollton, Carroll Co., KY

Ischyrodonta elongata Ordovician, KY

Lyrodesma conradi Ulrich, Shows the teeth with dentition and muscle scars are obscured, Upper Ordovician, Kope Formation, Carrollton, Carroll Co., KY

Modiolodon sp., Upper Ordovician, Grant Lake Formation, Taylorsville Lake, Spencer Co., KY

Modiolopsis sp., Upper Ordovician, Grant Lake Formation, Taylorsville Lake, Spencer Co., KY


orthoceras cephalopodCephalopods (Mollusca)

Charactoceras - Ordovician, Arnheim Formation, Mt. Orab, OH

Orthocerid cephalopod with a grid-like external shell pattern. This is very rarely observed because the shell microstructure is very fragile. Upper Ordovician, Kope Formation, Carrollton, Carroll Co., KY

Orthocerid cephalopod observe the lines on the shell that have been preserved by an encasing Spatiopora? sp. bryozoan, Upper Ordovician, Kope Formation, Carrollton, Carroll Co., KY

Orthonybyoceras - cut to show diagnostic features, Ordovician - KY

Treptoceras - cut to show diagnostic features, Ordovician - KY

Unidentified orthocone Upper Ordovician, Bull Fork Formation, Springfield, Washington Co., KY

Unidentified orthocone and Cyclonema sp. gastropods, Upper Ordovician, river alluvium, Falls of the Ohio State Park collection

Unidentified orthocone, Upper Ordovician, Kope Formation, Worthville, Carroll Co., KY


crinoidCrinoids (Echinodermata)

Crinoid Holdfasts on bryozoan, Eden Formation, McMicken Member, Carrollton, Carroll Co., KY

Lichenocrinus sp. holdfast for Cincinnaticrinus, Upper Ordovician, Kope Formation, Carroll Co., KY

Podolithus crinoid holdfast attached to Dekayia bryozoan branch, Upper Ordovician, Kope Formation, Carrollton, Carroll Co., KY

 

Cyclocystoidea (Echinodermata)

Cyclocystoid, Shelby Co., KY

Unidentified Cyclocystoid, very rare fossil, Grant Lake Formation, Taylorsville, Spencer Co., KY, Falls of the Ohio State Park collection

edrioasteroidEdrioasteroidea (Disk Stars) and Asteroidea (Sea Stars)

Carynella sp. on Rafinequina ponderosa Ulrich with a second edrioasteroid Cystaster sp. in the lower right and multiple inarticulate brachiopods Petrocrania scabiosa (Hall), Upper Ordovician, Maysville Group, Covington, Kenton Co., KY

Carynella sp., Maysville Group, Covington, Kenton Co., KY

Salteraster grandis (Meek), (formerly Urasterella) Upper Ordovician, Arnheim Formation, Madison, Jefferson Co., IN

trace fossilsTrace Fossils

Bifungites Waynesville Formation, China, Jefferson Co., IN

Bryozoan bored with Catellocaulis vallata Palmer & Wilson, Upper Ordovician, Kope Formation, Carrollton, Carroll Co., KY Catellocaulis is thought to be some sort of maturation chamber

Chondrites, dendritic paths of a feeding organism in sediment, Upper Ordovician, Kope Formation, Carrollton, Carroll Co., KY

Sanctum laurentiensis Erickson & Bouchart in the bryozoan Peronopora vera Ulrich, Upper Ordovician, Kope Formation, Carrollton, Carroll Co., KY

Others

Cornulites annelid worm tubes, Upper Ordovician, Kope Formation, Carrollton, Carroll Co., KY

Geniculograptus typicalis (Hall), slab covered with carbonized fragments, Upper Ordovician, Kope Formation, Carrollton, Carroll Co., KY

Leperditella, Hitz Limestone, Sleepy Hollow, Oldham Co., KY

Sphenothallus sp., thought to be a tube worm by some paleontologists, Upper Ordovician, Bull Fork Formation, Springfield, Washington Co., KY, Falls of the Ohio State Park Collection

 

 

 


 

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: 06/16/2009 - Fossil drawings © Michael Popp, 2009

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