Welcome to Catnapin's

Paleozoic Fossil Gallery - Bryozoa (Moss Animals)

Cnidaria, Anthozoa

(Phylum, Class)

Previous Arrow    Fossil Index     Next Arrow

Red text = needs information

Fossil identification by Jo Cox unless otherwise noted

*****************************************************************

Corals are soft bodied animals that have lived in tropical shallow seas for hundreds of millions of years. Individuals have a tube body and tentacles surrounding a mouth. Each animal secretes a cup-shaped structure around themselves. Its shape is always centrally radiating and partitioned. The tubes can be a variety of geometric shapes; circles and polygons with radiating walls are very common.

Horn corals are single animals. Lophophyllidium and Caninia were very common in the Pennsylvanian Period of Texas. A young animal cemented itself to an object, growing wider as it grew skyward. Its weight eventually toppled the structure. Continued growth produced a bend, like a horn, and gave the coral its name.

Syringopora grew as individuals not a true colony coral. They built their tubes close and joined together with small connecting tubes.

Montastrea are small individuals joined together in a mass called Colonial Coral. These colonies become boulders.

Conularia are related to corals and jellyfish. The animal probably had multiple tentacles that could be retracted into their pyramidal shells. Four triangular hinged lids at the larger end could close to escape from danger.

*****************************************************************

Paleozoic

*****************************************************************

?, ?

(Subclass, Order)

?

Period: Pennsylvania

Location: north of Cisco, Texas

Collection: Jo Cox

Size: ? mm long

(unknown) coral 1.jpg (119116 bytes)   (unknown) coral 1 - close up.jpg (119688 bytes)

*****************************************************************

Rugosa, Stauriida

(Subclass, Order)

Caninia torquia

Period: Pennsylvania

Location: near Brownwood, Texas

Collection: Jo Cox

Caninia torquia - uncleaned.jpg (104933 bytes)   Caninia torquia - polished.jpg (93630 bytes)

Size: ? mm wide     Size: ? mm wide

second picture's specimens were polished by Jo Cox

 

Lophophyllidium proliferum

Period: Pennsylvania

Location: north of Cisco, Texas

Collection: Hardin-Simmons University

Size: 35 mm long

Lophophyllidium proliferum.jpg (116720 bytes)

 

Lophophyllidium radicosum

Period: Pennsylvania

Location: north of Cisco, Texas

Collection: Hardin-Simmons University

Size: 24 mm long

Lophophyllidium radicosum.jpg (99041 bytes)

 

Favistina (Favistella) stellata

Period: Ordovician

Location: ?

Collection: Hardin-Simmons University

Size: 41 mm long

Favistina (was Favistella) stellata 1a.jpg (106063 bytes)   Favistina (was Favistella) stellata 1b.jpg (59402 bytes)

 

Hexagonariaanna

Period: Devonian

Location: ?

Collection: Hardin-Simmons University

Size: 74 mm long

Hexagonaria.jpg (63428 bytes)

Collection: This is the same genus as the Petoskey stones of Michigan. It looks similar to Montastrea but has hexagonal wells.

*****************************************************************

Tabulata, Auloporida

(Subclass, Order)

Syringopora sp.

Period: Permian

Location: Taylor Co., Texas

Collection: Jo Cox

Size: 33 mm long

Syringopora - block.jpg (40406 bytes)

 

Syringopora sp.

Period: Permian

Location: ?

Collection: Hardin-Simmons University

#1  Syringopora 1a.jpg (88031 bytes)   Syringopora 1b.jpg (69142 bytes)  Size: ? mm wide

#2  Syringopora 2a.jpg (145061 bytes)   Syringopora 2b.jpg (164572 bytes)Size: ? mm wide

2 specimens

*****************************************************************

Cretaceous

*****************************************************************

Scleractinia, Caryophylliida

(Subclass, Order)

Parasmilia sp.

Period: lower Cretaceous

Location: Taylor Co., Texas

Collection: Judie Ostlien

Identified by: Judie Ostlien

#1 Parasimilia 1.jpg (32301 bytes)  Size: ? mm wide

#2 Parasimilia 2.jpg (113125 bytes)  Size: ? mm wide

2 specimens

*****************************************************************

Scleractinia, Faviida

(Subclass, Order)

Septastrea sp.

Period: Miocene to Pliocene

Location: Taylor Co., Texas

Collection: Judie Ostlien

Identified by: Judie Ostlien

Size: ? mm long

Septastrea 1.jpg (40380 bytes)

 

Montastrea roemeriana

Period: lower Cretaceous

Location: Taylor Co., Texas

Collection: Jo Cox

Collector: Lorene Ohlhausen

Size: 178 mm wide x 83 mm tall

Montastrea roemeriana.jpg (88145 bytes)   Montastrea roemeriana - close-up.jpg (122419 bytes)

 

Montastrea travisensis

Period: lower Cretaceous

Location: ?

Collection: Hardin-Simmons University

Size: 30 x 40 mm wide x 75 mm long

Montastrea travisensis 1a.jpg (117048 bytes)   Montastrea travisensis 1b.jpg (94051 bytes)   Montastrea travisensis 1c.jpg (89474 bytes)

*****************************************************************

Previous Arrow    Fossil Index     Next Arrow

Email:
fossilcritter"at"catnapin.com

to reduce spam, change "at" to @
please be specific

Home Page    IconWriting   Art Index   Martial Arts Index   Wildflower Index   Critter Index   About Us   Links

Copyright Notice:  All photos are copyrighted and protected by the laws of the United States.
Unauthorized duplication for sale or distribution is prohibited.