This is the “Fossil Friday” post #223. Expect this to be a somewhat regular feature of the website. We will post any fossil pictures you send in to esconi.info@gmail.com. Please include a short description or story. Check the #FossilFriday Twitter hash tag for contributions from around the world!
This week, we have a nice little syncarid shrimp called Acanthotelson stimpsoni. It’s one of the most common shrimp found amongst the Braidwood fauna of Mazon Creek. A. stimpsoni was described in 1865 by F.B. Meek and A. H. Worthen. Fielding Bradford Meek and Amos Henry Worthen, They collaborated on many papers through the years. Meek worked at the USGS. A.H Worthen was the second state geologist of Illinois and the first curator of the Illinois State Museum. He has an extensive fossil collection, which now resides at the Prairie Research Institute PRI at the University of Illinois. A. stimpsoni was named for an early contributor to American science – William Stimpson. Stimpson was a contemporary of Meek and Worthen. He worked at the Smithsonian Institution and was later the director of the Chicago Academy of Sciences.
This sweet little specimen was found earlier this year in Pit 11 by Caden McDonald. You might remember is beautiful Annularia sphenophylloides, which was featured in Fossil Friday #166. Thanks for sharing, Caden!
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