Tag: Mississippian
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The World’s First Bugs Had Way More Legs
The New York Times has an interesting article about research that has uncovered an early insect. The animal, Chosha praecursor, lived about 324 million years ago during the Carboniferous Period in what is now Texas. It looked very similar to modern day silverfish, with a huge difference… it had 24 legs! C. praecursor was described…
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ESCONI Field Trip to Bellevue, MI Quarry on Saturday, September 12th, 2026
A field trip to a quarry in Bellevue, MI is scheduled for Saturday, September 12th, 2026. This is a joint trip with the Kalamazoo Geological and Mineral Society (KGMS), and will be led by KGMS members. There is space for 15 ESCONI members. The trip will be from 9:30 AM ET to 2:30 PM ET. Note…
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Fossil Friday #318: Rex, the Wonder Amphibian
We have something very interesting this week… The specimen’s label says “Rex, the Wonder Amphibian”. It’s an early tetrapod from the Mississippian of Iowa, some 340 million years ago. Whatcheeria deltae was described by R. Eric Lombard and John R. Bolt in 1985 in the paper “A new primitive tetrapod, Whatcheeria deltae, from the Lower…
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2026 ESCONI Gem, Mineral, and Fossil Show – Preview #31: Crinoid Plate from the Bangor Formation in Northern Alabama
Another crinoid plate from the Bangor Formation in Northern Alabama. This plate has multiple crinoids and other fossils like Archimedes bryozoans. Tomorrow is the day!
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2026 ESCONI Gem, Mineral, and Fossil Show – Preview #12: Crinoids from the Bangor Formation in Alabama
Here’s a gorgeous plate of crinoids from the Bangor Formation of Western Alabama. These fossils date to the Upper Mississippian Chestertian Series. There are a couple other fossils on the piece, including Archimedes bryozoans and other crinoid calyxes. Come on out and check it out in less than two weeks!
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2026 ESCONI Gem, Mineral, and Fossil Show – Preview #5: Large Archimedes sp. from Alabama
This is the preview post #5 for the 2026 ESCONI Gem, Mineral, and Fossil Show Live Auction. The ESCONI Gem, Mineral, and Fossil Show for 2026 will be held on March 21th and 22nd at the DuPage Fairgrounds in Wheaton, IL, which is the same location as last year. All details can be found here. Today’s…
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2025 ESCONI Gem, Mineral, and Fossil Show – Preview #7: Mississippian Crinoid from Gilmore City, IL
This is the preview post #7 for the 2025 ESCONI Gem, Mineral, and Fossil Show Live Auction. The ESCONI Gem, Mineral, and Fossil Show for 2025 will be held on March 15th and 16th at the DuPage Fairgrounds in Wheaton, IL, which is the same location as last year. All details can be found here.…
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2024 ESCONI Gem, Mineral, and Fossil Show – Preview #7!
This is the preview post #7 for the 2024 ESCONI Gem, Mineral, and Fossil Show Live Auction. The ESCONI Gem, Mineral, and Fossil Show for 2024 will be held on March 16th and 17th at the DuPage Fairgrounds in Wheaton, IL, which is the same location as last year. All details can be found here.…
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Paleontologists Discover Two New Shark Species From Fossils in Mammoth Cave National Park
Smithsonian Magazine has a story about a new fossil discovery. Two new shark species from the Carboniferous have been described from Mammoth Cave National Park in Kentucky. Troglocladodus trimblei and Glikmanius careforum lived during the Carboniferous Period some 325 million yerars ago. Both measured about 10 to 12 feet long. The paper “Sharks in the dark:…
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Rare 3D fossils show that some early trees had forms unlike any you’ve ever seen before
Phys.org has a story about the discovery of an amazingly preserved “tree” from New Brunswick, Canada. The fossils, which date to about 350 million years ago during the Mississippian Period, consist of multiple specimens with one preserving how the “leaves” were distributed in the crown of the tree. Usually, just the trunk of trees are…
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Fossil Friday #54: Assortment of Mississippian Fossils – Anna, IL
This is the “Fossil Friday” post #54. 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 some fossils…
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NPS.gov: Sharks, Fossils, and Caves: Secrets Revealed at Mammoth Cave
NPS.gov has a story about some remarkable new fossil discoveries in Mammoth Cave in Kentucky. The fossils date to the Mississippian Period about 325 million years ago and reveal a very diverse shark fauna. There are 40 species of shark, which includes six new species. The painting above and new information are being presented as…
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Jaw of 330-Million-Year-Old Shark Discovered in Kentucky Cave
The Smithsonian Magazine has a article about the accidental discovery of a fossil shark in Mammoth Cave. The shark, Savivodus striatus, lived during the late Mississippian Period, about 330 million years ago. This shark was probably about 20 feet long, but are known to be more than 30 feet long. n November 2019, paleontologist John-Paul…
