Fossil Finds: Mineral Wells Fossil Park
Around 310 to 320 million years ago, long before the first dinosaurs were born, this part of Texas was teeming with marine life. A shallow ocean reef composed of sponges, coral, brachiopds, bivalves, snails, nautiloids, ammonites and crinoids lefts their fossil for us to find. Below are example of the fossils I have personally found in the park. The Site is upper or late Pennsylvanian or Carboniferous Period. Palo Pinto County, Mineral Wells, Texas
Kingdom: Animalia – Phylum: Porifera (sponges)
Sponge Wewokella
Pennsylvanian (upper Carboniferous)
Mineral Wells Fossil Park, Palo Pinto County, Texas
Sponge Wewokella
Pennsylvanian (upper Carboniferous)
Mineral Wells Fossil Park, Palo Pinto County, Texas
Sponge
Pennsylvanian (upper Carboniferous)
Mineral Wells Fossil Park, Palo Pinto County, Texas
Sponge Wewokella
Pennsylvanian (upper Carboniferous)
Mineral Wells Fossil Park, Palo Pinto County, Texas
Sponge Wewokella
Pennsylvanian (upper Carboniferous)
Mineral Wells Fossil Park, Palo Pinto County, Texas
Sponge Wewokella
Pennsylvanian (upper Carboniferous)
Mineral Wells Fossil Park, Palo Pinto County, Texas
Kingdom: Animalia – Phylum: Cnidaria (coral)
Coral Cladochonus fragilis
Pennsylvanian (upper Carboniferous)
Mineral Wells Fossil Park, Palo Pinto County, Texas
Coral Lyphophyllidum
Pennsylvanian (upper Carboniferous)
Mineral Wells Fossil Park, Palo Pinto County, Texas
Kingdom: Animalia – Phylum: Bryozoan
Bryozoan Tabulipora Maeandrostia kansasensis
Pennsylvanian (upper Carboniferous)
Mineral Wells Fossil Park, Palo Pinto County, Texas
Kingdom: Animalia – Phylum: Brachiopoda
Brachiopoda Punctospirifer kentuckensis
Pennsylvanian (upper Carboniferous)
Mineral Wells Fossil Park, Palo Pinto County, Texas
Brachiopoda Linoproductus prattenianus
Pennsylvanian (upper Carboniferous)
Mineral Wells Fossil Park, Palo Pinto County, Texas
Brachiopoda Enteletes hemiplicatus
Pennsylvanian (upper Carboniferous)
Mineral Wells Fossil Park, Palo Pinto County, Texas
Brachiopoda Eridmatus
Pennsylvanian (upper Carboniferous)
Mineral Wells Fossil Park, Palo Pinto County, Texas
Brachiopoda Chonetinella flemingi
Pennsylvanian (upper Carboniferous)
Mineral Wells Fossil Park, Palo Pinto County, Texas
Brachiopoda Composita ovata
Pennsylvanian (upper Carboniferous)
Mineral Wells Fossil Park, Palo Pinto County, Texas
Brachiopoda Eridmatus texanus
Pennsylvanian (upper Carboniferous)
Mineral Wells Fossil Park, Palo Pinto County, Texas
Brachiopoda Kutorginella lasalensis
Pennsylvanian (upper Carboniferous)
Mineral Wells Fossil Park, Palo Pinto County, Texas
Brachiopoda Neochonetes acanthophorus
Pennsylvanian (upper Carboniferous)
Mineral Wells Fossil Park, Palo Pinto County, Texas
Brachiopoda Spiriferid
Pennsylvanian (upper Carboniferous)
Mineral Wells Fossil Park, Palo Pinto County, Texas
Kingdom: Animalia – Phylum: Mollusca – Class: Gastropoda (snails)
Snail Bellerophon
Pennsylvanian (upper Carboniferous)
Mineral Wells Fossil Park, Palo Pinto County, Texas
Snail Meekospira
Pennsylvanian (upper Carboniferous)
Mineral Wells Fossil Park, Palo Pinto County, Texas
Snail Solensicus
Pennsylvanian (upper Carboniferous)
Mineral Wells Fossil Park, Palo Pinto County, Texas
Snail Trepospira illinoisensis
Pennsylvanian (upper Carboniferous)
Mineral Wells Fossil Park, Palo Pinto County, Texas
Kingdom: Animalia – Phylum: Mollusca – Class: Cephalopoda (ammonite)
Ammonite Gonioloboceras
Pennsylvanian (upper Carboniferous)
Mineral Wells Fossil Park, Palo Pinto County, Texas
Ammonite Gonioloboceras
Pennsylvanian (upper Carboniferous)
Mineral Wells Fossil Park, Palo Pinto County, Texas
Ammonite Metacoceras
Nautiloid Psuedothoceras
Pennsylvanian (upper Carboniferous)
Mineral Wells Fossil Park, Palo Pinto County, Texas
Kingdom: Animalia – Phylum: Echinodermata – Class: Echinoidea
Sea Urchin Archaeocidaris
Plate Pennsylvanian (upper Carboniferous)
Mineral Wells Fossil Park, Palo Pinto County, Texas
Kingdom: Animalia – Phylum: Echinodermata – Class: Crinoidea
Crinoid Columns
Pennsylvanian (upper Carboniferous)
Mineral Wells Fossil Park, Palo Pinto County, Texas
Crinoid Columns
Pennsylvanian (upper Carboniferous)
Mineral Wells Fossil Park, Palo Pinto County, Texas
Crinoid Columns
Pennsylvanian (upper Carboniferous)
Mineral Wells Fossil Park, Palo Pinto County, Texas
Crinoid Columns
Pennsylvanian (upper Carboniferous)
Mineral Wells Fossil Park, Palo Pinto County, Texas
Crinoid Columns
Pennsylvanian (upper Carboniferous)
Mineral Wells Fossil Park, Palo Pinto County, Texas
Crinoid Columns
Pennsylvanian (upper Carboniferous)
Mineral Wells Fossil Park, Palo Pinto County, Texas
Crinoid Columns Floricyclus
Pennsylvanian (upper Carboniferous)
Mineral Wells Fossil Park, Palo Pinto County, Texas
Crinoid Columns Floricyclus
Pennsylvanian (upper Carboniferous)
Mineral Wells Fossil Park, Palo Pinto County, Texas
Crinoid Columns
Pennsylvanian (upper Carboniferous)
Mineral Wells Fossil Park, Palo Pinto County, Texas
Crinoid Columns
Pennsylvanian (upper Carboniferous)
Mineral Wells Fossil Park, Palo Pinto County, Texas
Crinoid Plates
Pennsylvanian (upper Carboniferous)
Mineral Wells Fossil Park, Palo Pinto County, Texas
Crinoid Calyx
Pennsylvanian (upper Carboniferous)
Mineral Wells Fossil Park, Palo Pinto County, Texas
Kingdom: Animalia – Phylum: Arthropoda – Class: Trilobite
I have not found any yet!
Kingdom: Animalia – Phylum: Chordata- Class: Chondrichthyes
Shark tooth
I have not found any yet!