Horn Coral Fossil Triplophyllites

These Triplophyllites Horn Coral Fossils are from the mid Mississippian Period. That makes it about 340 million years old. It is about 1 1/4 inches long with the classic cone shape. Horn Corals are from the extinct order of corals called Rugosa. Rugose means wrinkled. The outside of these corals have a wrinkled appearance. Horn Coral grows in a long cone shape like a bull’s horn. The fossil is the skeleton of the coral animal or polyp. The animal lived at the top of the cone. They had many tentacles sticking out to gather food. The tentacles gave the horn coral a flower like appearance. This horn coral came from Hardin County, Kentucky.