Fossil Matter: March 2017

Thursday, March 16, 2017

Fossil Matter Trivia II: Can you identify this fossil?

In our previous trivia, I posted the image of an ammonite. This was a group of cephalopod mollusks that went extinct in the late Cretaceous along with the dinosaurs. These were marine predators, some of them growing a few meters in diameter.

The specimen from the previous post is a Perisphinctes cubensis from the middle Jurassic black limestones and shales of Pinar del Rio, western Cuba. These fossils can be found on river rocks and rock walls.

But this post will be harder. Can you identify this fossil?

I am a geoscientist specializing in the distribution and evolution of biotas that inhabited the Caribbean over the past 200 million years. My research also explores oceanic anoxic events, climate change and the complex geologic history of the circum-Caribbean. The views expressed in these posts are my own and do not necessarily reflect those of my associates, colleagues, or affiliated institutions. All materials shared here are my property unless otherwise noted. Please seek permission before using them.