Welcome to Catnapin's
Fossil Gallery - Sponge
Porifera
(Phylum)
Red text = needs information
Fossil identification by Jo Cox unless otherwise noted
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Sponges are among the oldest known multi-cellular animals, surviving over 600 million years. These fleshy animals cement themselves to a surface then build a fibrous skeleton around and through their bodies. They do not have arms to grab food. Instead, water is filtered through tubes penetrating their body. |
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Demospngea
(Class)
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Hindia sp. Period: Ordovician / Permian Location: ? Collection: Hardin-Simmons University Size: 20 mm wide |
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| Description: ball shaped, broken in half | |
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Hexactinellida
(Class)
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Hydnoceras sp. Period: Devonian / Pennsylvanian Location: ? Collection: Hardin-Simmons University Size: 50 mm wide |
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Description: a glass sponge. Skeleton of sponge is in rectangles. |
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?
(Class)
This sponge resembles the coral Caninia, which is also found near Brownwood Texas. The Sponge's taper is more pronounced from the point and the large end's radii curve inwards into the cup.
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Talpaspongia clavata Period: Pennsylvanian Location: near Brownwood Texas Collection: Abilene Christian University Natural History Collection Size: 92 mm long x 65 mm Dia. |
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Description: point end is broken, half of outer surface is covered in Serpula (worm tubes). |
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Talpaspongia clavata Period: Pennsylvanian Location: near Brownwood Texas Collection: Hardin-Simmons University Size: 120 mm wide |
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