KGS Navigation Bar, Search, Contact, KGS Home, UK Home University of Kentucky at http://www.uky.edu Kentucky Geological Survey at http://www.uky.edu/kgs Search KGS at http://www.uky.edu/KGS/search.html contact kgs at http://www.uky.edu/KGS/about/contact.htm KGS Home at http://www.uky.edu/KGS/ UK Home at http://www.uky.edu KGS Home

KGS Home > Fossils > Invertebrate Fossils > Corals

Pleurodictyum

Pleurodictyum is a type of mound-shaped, colonial tabulate coral found in Devonian-age strata. The arrangement of corallites (tubes) and the tabulae (plates or segments within tubes) seen in the detail on the right, give the coral fossil the appearance of a modern wasp or bee hive. In fact, these fossils have been reported as fossil wasp nests or hives by amateur collectors. In reality they are a type of tabulate coral. This specimen is 13 cm across and was donated to the Kentucky Geological Survey by R. Todd Hendricks.

Pleurodictyum from the Jeffersonville Limestone at the Falls of the Ohio. This specimen is 15-20 cm across. Note the bee hive appearance of this fossil coral.
Pleurodictyum from the Jeffersonville Limestone at the Falls of the Ohio. This specimen is 15-20 cm across. Note the bee hive appearance of this fossil coral, especially where weathering has turned the edges of the corallite chambers black.
Back Next

 

 

All files associated with this page are copyrighted © 1997 – by the Kentucky Geological Survey, University of Kentucky. An Equal Opportunity University.
Contact the Webmaster for questions and comments.
Last modified September 21, 2006 .