Baby Ammonoids

[Architeuthoceras]

The snow melted last week so I went out to the exposure where I found the fossils mentioned in Phil's Fossil CephCam thread. I collected some of the rock for further study. I dont think it is a concretion, but rather just lenses of this stuff in with the concretions. There seems to be a wide variety of different organizms fossilized in these beds.

The top picture is the outcrop, alot of broken, dark colored rocks on top of the tan colored shale

The middle pic is a closeup of the rocks showing all the fossils

The lower pic is a closeup of one of the rocks showing the smaller fossils

 

[Architeuthoceras]

At home I stuck the rock under the microscope, and these are some of the things found. Most of the coiled ammonoids are probably Scaphites whitfieldi just because that is the most common specie preserved as adults, the suture are very simple on these small fossils and there is not yet any sculpture on the shell so ID is very difficult. Most of these small fossils are less than 1mm dia., the adults in the previous post average 30mm long (just over an inch)

Top: Small ammonoids and a fish scale

Middle: Small ammonoid and gastropods

Bottom: Baculites ammonitella, it starts to straighten at the primary constriction

 

[Architeuthoceras]

Here is a Key for where some of the closeups are taken

The Scaphites mold is about 30mm long.

The Baculites mold held an adult? Baculites probably Baculites yokoyamai.

'FS' are calcite replaced fish scales.

'A' is the small coiled ammonoids with the closeup of a fish scale.

'B' is the small ammonoid and two snails.

'C' is where the small baculites is.

There are many many more fossils in this rock, these are just some of the best.

 

[Architeuthoceras]

Sorry for putting this thread in the Octopus Den, It should go in the Fossils and History Forum, is it possible to move it

 

[Colin]

yesh, it can be moved but my powers are useless here LOL

will need to wait for Phil or Tony to read it

 

[tonmo]

Done!

 

[spartacus]

Kevin, you've moved to France ?
nice selection of fossils in one sample too, I've some lumps here cleaning up in the rain that are a nice cross section of different fauna' will post when at your high standard !
I assume you're using your Kodak Box Brownie & monocle again for the close-ups ?

Keef

 

[Architeuthoceras]

I assume you're using your Kodak Box Brownie & monocle again for the close-ups ?

Yes, just remove the lens and put a tube from the inside of a roll of toilet paper between the lens and the brownie box...

or, put the lens of your digital camera up to the eyepiece of a 30X microscope. (it only took 3 battery charges and four 60 image downloads to get the shots I posted, got some real nice photos of grease and dust on the eyepiece lens)

Both work well

 

[spartacus]

can't get toilet roll here yet as the inventor of the necessary steam
powered machinery has not yet been born & fitting lenses into a hollow stick would be a nightmare of nightmarish proportions, Gary Laylow had it easy

you're obviously seriously richer than me as I don't have one microscope
let alone 30 but I DO have an 8" SCT telescope (bit daft as the "T" stands for telescope too but who am I to question astronomical convention) so if I use my 5mm eyepiece with a x2 Barlow lens I get x800 (2000mm focal length) hook up my digicam to the eyepiece at x800 too & end up at x640000 not bad, have to change my name to Magnus !

Dunno 'bout grease & dust I'm gonna go find me some neutrinos thanks for the tip !!

Keef