This is the "Fossil Friday" post #92. Expect this to be a somewhat regular feature of the website. We will post any fossil pictures you send in to [email protected]. Please include a short description or story. Check the #FossilFriday Twitter hash tag for contributions from around the world!
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Today, we have the first of a couple "mystery" Mazon Creek fossil posts. This one comes from long time ESCONI friend and member Dan Damrow. You might recall the stunning tar pit fossil photos he sent us back in November (Fossil Friday #83) and the gorgeous Packer... err Green Bay Cystoid in Fossil Friday #89. For this one, we have a very interesting Pit 11 fossil. It's certainly a marine animal, but what? We are looking for some suggestions... send yours to [email protected]. Thanks for the contribution, Dan! Hey, who doesn't love a mystery?!
Here's Dan's description.
At this point it remains an unknown, possibly even a new species of some sort. It would be interesting to hear some suggestions. My suggestion would be a new polychaete of some sort. It is a Pit 11 specimen so almost certainly is marine. If outstretched, the critter would be about 2 ¾ inches. It’s length and robust shape clearly eliminate most of the described polychaetes. Unless those parameters should be altered by this specimen. The segments give it the appearance of an armored worm like textures. Far too many segments and unique relief to be Coprinoscolex. Very short setae appear to arise from each segment. What is most likely the anterior “head” region is overprinted with some matrix and may reveal more information if cleaned. Mysteries are always fun.
