Fossil Collection Bryozoans
Bryozoans
This Bryozoan is called Heterotrypa subfrondosa. It is from the Ordovician Period and is about 450 million years old. It was found in the Latonia formation, Carroll County,Kentucky. Bryozoans are tiny colonial animals. The fossil that you see was the home of thousands of bryozoans. With a magnifying glass you can see tiny pits. Each pit was the home of one bryozoan. They live by filtering sea water for microscopic organisms.
Archimedes was a fenestrate bryozoan colony. Fenestrate means they built lace like structures for their homes. The bryozoa lived in tubes in this structure which was attached to a screw shaped support. The fossil that you see is this support structure. These extinct fossil bryozoans are from the Mississippian Epoch of the Carboniferous Period and are about 324 million years old. They were found in Indiana.
These Bryozoans look very similar to the Heterotrypa bryozoans above, but they are a different species. It is from the Permian Period and is about 275 million years old. It was found in Texas. In order to tell which one you have look on the master fossil identification chart that came with your collection. It will tell you which period your bryozoan came from. Bryozoans are tiny colonial animals. The fossil that you see was the home of thousands of bryozoans. With a magnifying glass you can see tiny pits. Each pit was the home of one bryozoan. They live by filtering sea water for microscopic organisms.
