Fossil Mall

Rare Luolishania longicruris Lobopodian Fossils from Maotianshan Shales

Name: Luolishania longicruris Phylum Lobopodia Geological Time: Early Cambrian (~525 million years ago) Size: 12 mm long each Fossil Site: Chengjiang Maotianshan Shales - Quiongzhusi Section, Yu’anshan Member, Heilinpu Formation, Mafang Village, Anning, Kunming, Yunnan Province, China

Description: The discovery of the Chengjiang Biota by Hou Xian-guang in 1984 resulted in a clear window on what is known as the Cambrian Explosion. The diversity Luolishania longicrurisof soft-tissue fossils is astonishing: algae, medusiforms, sponges, priapulids, annelid-like worms, echinoderms, arthropods (including trilobites), hemichordates, chordates, and the first agnathan fish make up just a small fraction of the total. Numerous problematic forms are known as well, some of which may have represented failed attempts at diversity that did not persist to the present day.

The Lobopodians are small marine and terrestrial animals termed colloquially “velvet worms” or “worms with legs”.Luolishania longicruris Lobopodian While all Recent forms are terrestrial, most fossil Lobopodians are marine, and are known primarily from the Cambrian. Six named genera, each with a single species, are known from the Chengjiang Biota, making it the richest source of fossils of the type on Earth. This is one of the most striking, and quite rare of the Lobopodia; as of 2004, only SIX examples were known. A complete specimen is thought to be 15 mm, so this one is typical. Each leg bears curved claws which are thought to have served the creature as an adaptation to crawling on other organisms. It has been found in association with sponges. It is most closely related to Xenusion from the Early Cambrian of Germany, and is unknown outside of Yunnan Province. This fine example has incredible detail, with the long legs in clear evidence.

Fossil of Ancient Brachiopod Lingulella from Chengjiang Biota

Name: Lingulella chengjiangensis Phylum Brachiopoda, Order Lugulida, Family Lingulidae Geologic Time: Early Cambrian (~525 million years ago) Size: 15 mm long on an 18 mm by 18 mm matrix Fossil Site: Chengjiang Maotianshan Shales, Kunming, Yunnan Province, China

Comments: Lingulella is a widespread Cambrian lingulid brachiopod, also found in the Burgess Shale. Specimens from that locality do not typically show soft tissue preservation such as the pedicle seen here. While it may have led a burrowing existence like modern-day lingulids, several have been found attached to other organisms like Eldonia and Rotadiscus, indicative of an epibenthic lifestyle.

Juvenile Stethacanthid Paleozoic Shark Fossil from Bear Gulch Limestone

Name: Aff Stethacanthus Class Chondrichthyes, Order Symmoriida, Family Stethacanthidae Geological Time: Mississippian (about 320 million years old) Size: 85 mm long Fossil Site: Heath Shale Formation, Bear Gulch Limestone, Fergus County, Montana

The Bear Gulch Limestone is a deposit of some 70 square km in extent and 30 m in depth that has been a source of one of the most diverse assemblages of fossil fish with some 110 species having been described over the past 30 years. Most were new to science, and provided a unique view of the marine environment of Mississippian times. Fine preservation of both fish and invertebrates is a hallmark of these deposits, presumably due to an anoxic depositional environment. This specimen is a member of the Sthethacanthidae, a name derived from the anvil-like first dorsal spine of adult males

Parahemiphlebia cretacica Damselfly Fossil Class Insecta, Order Odonata, Suborder Zygoptera, Family Hemiphlebiidae Geological Time: Lower Cretaceous, Late Aptian-Cenomanian (108-92 million years ago) Size: Insect fossil has 29 mm wingspan Fossil Site: Crato Formation, Nova Olinda Member, Ceara, Brazil 

Messelornis cristata Bird Fossil from Messel Pit in Germany

Name: Messelornis cristata Aves, Messelornithidae Geological Time: Eocene Fossil is 220 mm in length Fossil Site: Messel Pit, Darmstadt, Germany

Birds are rarely preserved in the fossil record due to the fragility of their hollow bones. This one is the patronymic member of a family once thought related to the rails, but now are thought to have closer affinities to the cranes and bitterns.

Spiny Acanthopyge Lichda Trilobite from Morocco

Trilobites Order Lichida, Family Lichidae, Subfamily Trochurinae Geological Time: Lower Devonian, Pragian Stage (~ 395 million years old) Trilobite is 25 mm long Fossil Site: Jorf, Morocco

Leanchoillid Great Appendage Arthropod Fossil from Great Ordovician Radiation

Name Alalcolmenaeus Phylum Arthropoda Geological Time: Lower Ordovician Fossil is 30 mm long Fossil Site: Upper Fezouata Formation, Zagora, Morocco

The Fezouata Formation contains a diverse fauna from the Lower Ordovician, and some are thought to be relict examples of the more well-known Cambrian Explosion of the Buress Shale of Canada and the Chengjiang Biota of China. This unusual arthropod is thought to be related to Leanchoilia. The specimen is a member of the “great appendage arthropods” better known from the Burgess Shale Fauna.

Superb Carcharocles Megalodon Shark Tooth

Class Chondrichthyes, Subclass Elasmobranchii, Superorder Selachimorpha, Order Lamniformes, Family Otodontidae Geological Time: Pliocene (about 3 million years ago) Megalodon tooth is 110 mm long Fossil Site: Huarra Formation, Atacama Desert, Chile

This is a fine example of an anterio-lateral tooth from the most sought-after shark Carcharodon (or Carcharocles) megalodon. Notice the serrations present on this specimen of a shark which grew to be in excess of 20 meters.

RARE Mamayocaris Mazon Creek Lobster-Like Crustacean Fossil

Mamayocaris jaskoskii Class Crustacea, Order Pygocephalomorpha Geological Time: Pennsylvanian (~300 m.y.a.) Size: Fossil is 35 mm long by 12 mm across (plus antennae), Matrix: 50 mm by 35 mm nodule pair Fossil Site: Mazon Creek, Goose Lake, Morris, Illinois

Guildayichthys carnegiei Paleozoic Fossil Fish from Bear Gulch Limestone

Class Actinoptergyii, Order Guildayichthyformes, Family Guildayichthyidae Geological Time: Mississippian (~320 million years ago) Size: 58 mm long Fossil Site: Heath Shale Formation, Bear Gulch Limestone, Fergus County, Montana

Description: The Bear Gulch Limestone is a deposit of some 70 square km in extent and 30 m in depth that has been a source of one of the most diverse assemblages of fossil fish with some 110 species having been described over the past 30 years. Most were new to science, and provided a unique view of the marine environment of Mississippian times. Fine preservation of both fish and invertebrates is a hallmark of these deposits, presumably due to an anoxic depositional environment. This fine specimen is a rare example of Guildayichthyformes. The order an family was erected in 2000 to accommodate this unusual taxon which possesses an unusual mixture of primitive and modern characters in the skull bones. Note the detailed rhombic ganoid type scales. Overall, this is an exceptional example of the type, one that is sure to become a keystone of an Carboniferous fossil fish collection.

Four different genera of trilobites from Order Corynexochida, Family Styginidae from the Devonian of Morocco.  You can see details here and more pictures for each trilobite: Thysanopeltella Platyscutellum Metascutellum and  Scabriscutellum. There really is a lot of variation between genera.

Fossil Mall

Maotianshania cylindrica Worm Fossil from Chengjiang Biota

Beautiful Calymene conradi Trilobite from New York

Naraoia spinosa from Chengjiang with Digestive System Preservation

A superb example of preservation of soft tissues from more than a half billion years ago

Species: Naraoia spinosa Phylum: Arthropoda, Stem-group Chelicerata, Order Nektaspida, Family Naraoiidae Geological Time: Early Cambrian (~525 million years ago) Size: Fossil 26 mm long Fossil Site: Chengjiang Maotianshan Shales, Quiongzhusi Section, Yu’anshan Member, Heilinpu Formation, Mafang Village, Anning, Yunnan Province, China