This is the "Fossil Friday" post #206. 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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We have a large well-preserved Cyclus americanus from Mazon Creek for our Fossil Friday post this week. It's one of my favorites. Cycloids are an extinct order of arthropods that lived from the Carboniferous to the Cretaceous periods. The genus Cyclus was originally described as a trilobite by John Phillips in 1836. They are currently classified as crustaceans, although that interpretation is considered uncertain.
This gorgeous specimen was found a few years ago by ESCONI member George Witaszek in Pit 11. Cyclus are fairly common in various regions of Pit 11. This fairly large one is very detailed. It has the antennae and a hint of the legs. Thanks for sharing, George!
