Large cephalopods (and a bryozoan) from
the Salem Limestone
The Salem Limestone, Osagean, Middle Mississippian is widespread. Found in
Indiana - Kentucky west to Illiniois - Iowa - Missouri, in many locations
it is known for its micro-fossils, where sediment was sorted by size the sand-size
fossils dominate. The Indiana Building Stone is quarried where the grain-size
is uniformally small. In Kentucky the Salem Limestone contains more clay.
The Somerset Shale Member lying below the limestone is widespread in Kentucky
pinching out a short distance inside Indiana. In Kentucky, fossils run from
micro to maco.
These nautiloids do not seem to match any illustrations in the books on the
Salem fauna I have have access to. If anyone has an idea what they would be,
please post a comment to the Paleolist group.
Click on pictures to Magnify
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Associated with the large cephalopods was this "mother-of-all" bryozoans.
This is the largest Fistulipora spergenensis I have ever seen
(much less collected)!
Alan Goldstein
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