Fossil Finds: Jacksboro Spillway (Finis Shale)

Fossil collectors and researchers alike repeatedly visit this site just northeast of the Texas town of Jacksboro. Similar to the age of Minerals Wells Fossil Park, we again see an ecology that predates the dinosaurs. Pennsylvanian (Upper Carboniferous) Finis Shale, Graham Formation, Jacksboro, Jack County, Texas. Below is a short video about the site as well as a few of the fossil I have found there:

Kingdom: Animalia – Phylum: Porifera (sponges)

Sponge Wewokella

Pennsylvanian (upper Carboniferous)

Mineral Wells Fossil Park, Palo Pinto County, Texas

Kingdom: Animalia – Phylum: Cnidaria (coral)

Horn Coral Lyphophyllidum plummeri

Pennsylvanian (upper Carboniferous)

Finis Shale, Graham Formation, Jacksboro, Jack County, Texas

Kingdom: Animalia – Phylum: Brozoa

Bryzoa Tabulipora (Encrusting)

Pennsylvanian (upper Carboniferous)

Finis Shale, Graham Formation, Jacksboro, Jack County, Texas

Bryzoa Fenestella

Pennsylvanian (upper Carboniferous)

Finis Shale, Graham Formation, Jacksboro, Jack County, Texas

Bryzoa Fenestella in matrix

Pennsylvanian (upper Carboniferous)

Finis Shale, Graham Formation, Jacksboro, Jack County, Texas

Kingdom: Animalia – Phylum: Brachiopoda

Brachiopoda Hustedia mormoni

Pennsylvanian (upper Carboniferous)

Finis Shale, Graham Formation, Jacksboro, Jack County, Texas

Brachiopoda Composita Ovata

Pennsylvanian (upper Carboniferous)

Finis Shale, Graham Formation, Jacksboro, Jack County, Texas

Brachiopoda Rhipidomella carbonaria

Pennsylvanian (upper Carboniferous)

Finis Shale, Graham Formation, Jacksboro, Jack County, Texas

Brachiopoda Eridmatus texanus

Pennsylvanian (upper Carboniferous)

Finis Shale, Graham Formation, Jacksboro, Jack County, Texas

Brachiopoda Kutorginella lasallensis

Pennsylvanian (upper Carboniferous)

Finis Shale, Graham Formation, Jacksboro, Jack County, Texas

Brachiopoda Pulchratia symmetrica

Pennsylvanian (upper Carboniferous)

Finis Shale, Graham Formation, Jacksboro, Jack County, Texas

Brachiopoda Neochonetes acanthophorus

Pennsylvanian (upper Carboniferous)

Finis Shale, Graham Formation, Jacksboro, Jack County, Texas

Brachiopoda Linoproductus prattenianus

Pennsylvanian (upper Carboniferous)

Finis Shale, Graham Formation, Jacksboro, Jack County, Texas

Brachiopoda Crurithyris planoconvexa

Pennsylvanian (upper Carboniferous)

Finis Shale, Graham Formation, Jacksboro, Jack County, Texas

Brachiopoda Spiriferid

Pennsylvanian (upper Carboniferous)

Finis Shale, Graham Formation, Jacksboro, Jack County, Texas

Kingdom: Animalia – Phylum: Mollusca – Class: Bivalve (clams and oysters)

Bivalve Paleyoldia

Pennsylvanian (upper Carboniferous)

Finis Shale, Graham Formation, Jacksboro, Jack County, Texas

Bivalve Palaeoneilo oweni

Pennsylvanian (upper Carboniferous)

Finis Shale, Graham Formation, Jacksboro, Jack County, Texas

Bivalve Paleyoldia

Pennsylvanian (upper Carboniferous)

Finis Shale, Graham Formation, Jacksboro, Jack County, Texas

Bivalve Astartella varica

Pennsylvanian (upper Carboniferous)

Finis Shale, Graham Formation, Jacksboro, Jack County, Texas

Bivalve Myalina

Pennsylvanian (upper Carboniferous)

Finis Shale, Graham Formation, Jacksboro, Jack County, Texas

Kingdom: Animalia – Phylum: Mollusca – Class: Gastropoda (snails)

Snail Amphiscapha subrugosa

Pennsylvanian (upper Carboniferous)

Finis Shale, Graham Formation, Jacksboro, Jack County, Texas

Snail Solensicus typicus

Pennsylvanian (upper Carboniferous)

Finis Shale, Graham Formation, Jacksboro, Jack County, Texas

Snail Soleniscus primigenius

Pennsylvanian (upper Carboniferous)

Finis Shale, Graham Formation, Jacksboro, Jack County, Texas

Snail Trepospira illinoisensis

Pennsylvanian (upper Carboniferous)

Finis Shale, Graham Formation, Jacksboro, Jack County, Texas

Snail Trepospira illinoisensis

Pennsylvanian (upper Carboniferous)

Finis Shale, Graham Formation, Jacksboro, Jack County, Texas

Snail Worthenia tabulata

Pennsylvanian (upper Carboniferous)

Finis Shale, Graham Formation, Jacksboro, Jack County, Texas

Snail Bellerophon

Pennsylvanian (upper Carboniferous)

Finis Shale, Graham Formation, Jacksboro, Jack County, Texas

Kingdom: Animalia – Phylum: Mollusca – Class: Cephalopoda (squid and octopi)

Ammonite (shell fragments)

Pennsylvanian (upper Carboniferous)

Finis Shale, Graham Formation, Jacksboro, Jack County, Texas

Ammonite Metacoceras

Pennsylvanian (upper Carboniferous)

Finis Shale, Graham Formation, Jacksboro, Jack County, Texas

Ammonite Gonioloboceras

Pennsylvanian (Upper Carboniferous)

Finis Shale, Graham Formation, Jacksboro, Jack County, Texas

Nautiloid Euloxoceras

Pennsylvanian (upper Carboniferous)

Finis Shale, Graham Formation, Jacksboro, Jack County, Texas

Nautiloid Pseudorthoceras

Pennsylvanian (upper Carboniferous)

Finis Shale, Graham Formation, Jacksboro, Jack County, Texas

Nautiloid Shimanskya postremus

Pennsylvanian (upper Carboniferous)

Finis Shale, Graham Formation, Jacksboro, Jack County, Texas

Nautiloid Brachycycloceras

Pennsylvanian (upper Carboniferous)

Finis Shale, Graham Formation, Jacksboro, Jack County, Texas

Kingdom: Animalia – Phylum: Echinodermata – Class: Crinoidea

Crinoid Column

Pennsylvanian (upper Carboniferous)

Finis Shale, Graham Formation, Jacksboro, Jack County, Texas

Crinoid Column Floricyclus

Pennsylvanian (upper Carboniferous)

Finis Shale, Graham Formation, Jacksboro, Jack County, Texas

Crinoid Column Floricyclus

Pennsylvanian (upper Carboniferous)

Finis Shale, Graham Formation, Jacksboro, Jack County, Texas

Kingdom: Animalia – Phylum: Arthropoda- Class: Trilobite

I have not found one here yet.

I have a trilobite pygidium of the Palo Pinto roadcut of similar age.

Kingdom: Animalia – Phylum: Chordata- Class: Chrondrichthyes

Shark Tooth

Pennsylvanian (upper Carboniferous)

Finis Shale, Graham Formation, Jacksboro, Jack County, Texas

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