Now we’re diving into some ancient ocean life! 🌊🦪
Here’s what’s shown in the image you posted:
Fossil Brachiopods from Illinois
| Fossil | Time Period | Location | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Platystrophia | Ordovician (~450 million years ago) | Will County, IL | Classic ribbed brachiopod, lived when Illinois was covered by a shallow tropical sea. |
| Neospirifer | Pennsylvanian (~310 million years ago) | Peoria County, IL | Larger, more rounded shell, often found in coal-bearing rocks. |
| Pennsylvanian Brachiopods and Bryozoa | Pennsylvanian | Will County, IL | A mixed fossil slab; bryozoa are colonial filter-feeders, often forming lace-like structures. |
| Composita | Pennsylvanian | Edgar County, IL | Smooth, more inflated shell, adapted to slightly different marine conditions. |
⚡ Quick Fossil Facts:
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Brachiopods look like clams but are a different group — their internal anatomy is very different.
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Bryozoans are tiny animals that lived in colonies, creating net-like structures on the seafloor.
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The Ordovician period was a time of major diversification in marine life, sometimes called the “Great Ordovician Biodiversification Event.”
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The Pennsylvanian period had lush swamp forests on land and rich marine ecosystems offshore.